A member of a Clare Tidy Towns group says increasing the penalty for dog fouling will only work if fines are enforced.
The Minister of State for the Circular Economy has this week confirmed fines for littering and dog fouling are to be increased by €100 from September.
The measure is intended to deter littering and illegal dumping as well as clamp down on negligence around dog fouling.
In conjunction with the announcement, the minister has confirmed €3 million will be invested in anti-dumping initiatives across all local authorities, with over 200 projects being supported.
This initiative will fund local authorities to use CCTV surveillance to assist with clean-up operations.
Clare County Dog Warden Frankie Coote is welcoming the increasing focus on CCTV monitoring, saying it’s very hard to prove responsibility for dog fouling.
Just 48 dog fouling fines were issued by local authorities nationwide in 2024.
In Clare last year meanwhile, just two fines were issued, with these being administered in Shannon and Quin.
In 2026 to date, a total of 14 penalties for dog fouling have been doled out.
Ballyvaughan Tidy Towns member Victor McSweeney insists dishing out fines isn’t effective unless enforcement takes place.
Listen to the full interview here
