‘Parks being ruined’ by lack of dog-poo bags

Last November, the dog fouling bags which had been rolled out across parks and high-traffic walking spots at great expense disappeared. The dispensers were removed but the frames remained.

The reason given by the executive is the bags were costing too much at €30,000 to supply, dog owners were taking too many at a time and they were impossible to keep replenished.

At last week’s City Council meeting, Independent Councillor Declan McDonnell said an email had issued from the council’s environment department calling for volunteers to manage the bags instead of the local authority and he had expected them to have been handed over to Mervue United by now.

“The park is being destroyed,” he fumed.

Chief Executive Leonard Cleary said picking up after dogs was an individual owner’s responsibility and calling for volunteers was a pilot project that would take some more months to roll out.

Cllr McDonnell said parks would have been five months without poo bags.

“€30,000 used to cover poo bags in the whole city, now you’re expecting non-council people to take it over when you’re not doing your job – how can that take so many months?” he asked

The chairman of Mervue United, Councillor McDonnell later told the Galway City Tribune that he spoken informally to Chief Executive Leonard Cleary, offering that workers in the local Pobal scheme take on this work as part of their duties keeping O’Sullivan Park and Fahy’s Field in top shape.

The bags needed to be restored, he stressed.

“We have seen a massive increase in dog fouling since they were taken away, it’s ruining the paths and walkways here. I offered for the bags to be stored here at Mervue United and to take over replenishing them twice a week. He said there could be an issue with unions but he’d look into it,” he explained.

“Then we had an email from the Environment Unit looking for volunteers to take over the management of the dispensers in January. They would supply the bags to volunteer groups. I wrote back and said our offer still stood.

“But why is it taking so long – they have the bags, they have the dispensers – we’re going to be doing all the work?”

Pictured: Cllr Declan McDonnell. 'We have seen a massive increase in dog fouling . . .  it’s ruining the paths and walkways here.