Mayo's record on fines for dog fouling revealed

Not a single fine has been issued in Mayo in respect of dog fouling in public space across the county.

The statistic was revealed following a visual impairment survey conducted by Vision Ireland in which one third of respondents said they had been personally impacted by dog waste on footpaths and other locations.

Cars parked in footpaths were also found to be difficult for those with visual impairments to navigate around.

However, up to 172 fines have been issued in Mayo in respect of such illegal parking.

Kevin Kelly, head of policy, partnerships and external affairs at Vision Ireland said: “Parked cars and dog waste are two of the biggest hazards people who are blind and vision impaired face on our footpaths.

“The number of parking fines issued alone is astounding and gives an idea of the many thousands of obstacles people who are blind and vision impaired face when they’re out and about. Fines alone will not solve these problems.

“We must all work together and do our part to clear our paths. If everyone takes more responsibility for their actions, we can work towards making our paths safer for all.”