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DOG OWNERS ARE being warned to take specific precautions to keep their dogs safe from algal scums in Irish lakes, following reports that a number of dogs died of poisoning
Some algae that can develop on the surface of ponds and lakes can produce toxins that can be fatal to dogs.
The blue-green algae can sometimes wash-up or accumulate on shorelines and in humans it can cause skin rashes and illnesses
Dangerous algae are more common during calm summer weather and, following the deaths of a number of dogs in the Mayo/Galway region, investigations were carried out into whether algae was to blame.
While water quality is a big factor in the formation of algae, it can be found in relatively unpolluted lakes and rivers so it is not possible to predict in advance where a problematic algae bloom may occur.
It is understood that autopsies carried out on the dogs were inconclusive in determining whether algae was to blame for the harm to the dogs.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that algae can pose a danger to animals and points to a previously confirmed incident when a dog died in 2016 from eating algae.
The EPA says it not the lead agency in relation to animal or public health related issues and that all reports or queries concerning animal deaths associated with algal blooms should be made directly to local authorities.
Despite this, the EPA has given some advice to both dog owners and other members of the public about how to deal with the problem.
“The public should avoid walking dogs in areas where algae form obvious scums or accumulations on lake shorelines. Reporting of suspected incidents to local authorities and taking photographs to document the problem would be very beneficial, so that warning notices of increased risk can be erected where relevant,” the EPA said in a statement.
Dog owners are being advised to take a number of other precautions:
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Are they going to apply the same allowance for minimum wage retail staff working in rent pressure zones who earn 10k less than new recruit gardai? Or call centre staff who earn around 8k less than new recruit gardai? They chose the career knowing the wage and knowing they could be stationed anywhere in the country, give them allowance now and they wont want to give it up when their wage increases
@Karl Charlie: if the teachers get wind of this they will want the same and more im sure.
@Karl Charlie: Emergency service workers should be the only ones to be considered
@Humphrey Harold Haddington: well there is a reason why many have taken flight until they can save a deposit/afford the rent. Same for nurses.
@Karl Charlie: We are all ready maxed out paying for their pay and pensions bill, folks we are in the good times now, wait until the next recession hits and tax take drops like a stone, how on earth are we going to pay for all this?…..I tell you how lots more tax, you vote for this so suck it up.
Tax relief a much better idea than an allowance as an allowance has to come out of the coffers where as tax relief just means less going in.
@Fiachra Pollard: not really I don’t think. Comes outta the same pot.
@Fiachra Pollard: Issue with that is if you’re a new Garda on 28k you aren’t paying that much tax that a credit or relief wouldn’t make a difference. Also if done that way it’s through Revenue Commissioners which is unfair and not equal treatment of general Irish workers.
Pay increase at source or have some sort of Garda rest accomodation.
@Ronan McDermott: tax relief in this case is far more preferable and ultimately beneficial to the economy
They are employees of the state paid from the taxes we all pay , why should the get any special treatment, 10,000 people homeless , main roads are car parks , 10,000 people on in hospital beds in corridors and the Irish police force want a poxy tent allowance , is it April fools again !!
@Craig Hughes: Because government are in the same little circle of greed…..feeding from the trough and eating through all the tax we pay. Wait until the next downturn there is no way we will be able to pay for all this, it will be massive tax raises to pay for it all again…..
@Peter Hughes: Because Gardai, Firefighters,Paramedics and Nurses are all essential to ensuring a safe city and citizens. Cities can’t do without emergency service workers. There should be a weighting or allowance for emergency service workers living in expensive city areas, or better still provide accommodation for them. There are plenty of apartments in the city occupied by the chronically bone idle, who are a burden on the state and contribute nothing.
@Craig Hughes: 5000 of which turned down a house
@An bhearna: same could b said about banks, IT, power etc.. All just as essential as human life.
No ,
This is standard enough in a lot of police forces. Thames Valley Police has (or had) a London rent zone allowance as its areas fall within the London commuter zone
A Clerical Officer earns significantly less than that and there’s probably 1,000s of them working in Dublin, Cork etc. They should get an allowance too.
@Lisa Dorothy: or perhaps none of them should get an allowance, just like the rest of us in the private sector living and working in these zones
@Lisa Dorothy: the Garda representative association doesn’t not represent clerical officers. If CO’s want something similar they should contact their respective unions. More power to them.
Why fix the actual problem when you can just patch it up with some minimal allowances.
They do deserve a higher basic salary though. Same with nurses defense forces and a few others
@RossHand: No they don’t, they are already the highest paid police force in europe!, we are paying for all this while the economy is motoring along, wait until the next recession and see how we are going to pay for all this, the pay and pensions bill of the PS is off the scale and raising by the year…..in 20 years we won’t have a snowballs chance in hell in paying for it, but they won’t go down without a fight, massive tax raises will be the order of the day to keep the greedfest going.
@Peter Hughes: how many times will you make the same fake statement?
Simple Google search shows that the pay in Spain, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and so on are higher.
The only difference is those countries funny include overtime when they steak about pay whereas those work an agenda in Ireland do.
Pay for working your basic hours leaves Gardai under most Western Europe forces desire being in one of the most expensive countries.
And I’m not even including the fact that countries like France, Spain and Italy allow their militarized police free accommodation and utilities
The issue is the failure of the state to provide affordable accomodation for its citizens not providing allowances to one sector or another
@Barry O Toole: true but the gra aren’t there to represent everyone. They are for Gardai
@James Stephens: you are correct james but the high cost of housing is everybodys issue it is totally out of line with wages if the government had a coherent housing strategy there would be no need for allowances
@Barry O Toole: again I agree but this is the gra. No one else is putting food on my table except me so I will get what I can towards that
They are employees of the state paid from the taxes we all pay , why should the get any special treatment, 10,000 people homeless , main roads are car parks , 10,000 people on in hospital beds in corridors and the Irish police force want a poxy tent allowance , is it April fools again.
@Craig Hughes: Probably because they have the worst job in Ireland, dealing with us the public with no regard for them whatsoever. They should have a poxy tent allowance as you say
@Coco86: No they shouldnt. Who’s next on the list? Nurses etc the list is endless. And also no one is forced to become a Guard.
@Coco86: they chose the job knowing all this, nobody held a gun to their head and forced them to become gardai
@Karl Charlie: Karl put the phone down and walk away….. You’ll give you’re a heart attack at this rate.
@davey boy: your comment is just silly.
@Craig Hughes: It’s a race to the top not the bottom. If someone somewhere gets a pay increase then the likelihood of you getting one increases also.
Why should the Gardai get special treatment when every other worker on low wages have to suffer? How about fixing the housing crisis that FF/FG have created? Are FF/FG finally figuring out that Gardai will not help them or support them if they leave them to have the same problems as every other working class person in the country and now trying to buy their loyalty?
@Wade Wilson: others can move. Gardai cannot.
Even dfb staff know in advance they will be in Dublin. Nas, Gardai and defence forces are the only employees with no control over where they are based
Gardai know their pay before enter the Gards. Also how do some Gardai retire and set up places like copper face Jack’s? I was dealing with Sergeant retired and he owned a manor, a rolls Royce and a Land rover. I think the Gards will be fine….
@Paul Harte: name this fictional Sergeant. How can the hundreds of private industry millionaires afford their empires?
It’s Guards or Gardai by the way and they are currently recruiting. Sign up if it’s such a great job
The retained fire services are losing staff to this problem too. And unlike the Gardai, they cannot move station as you live no more than five minutes from your place of work.
It’s a big problem. I can see why other workers would have an issue with it, but if we lose our emergency services, we have a bigger problem.
@jamesdecay: no retained fire fighters in Dublin. where rent is extraordinary.
@Martin Gordon: there are some retained in the county, but there are more places than Dublin where rent is a problem.
If all employed people were paid a fair wage, there wouldnt be a need for allowences. The problem with allowences is where do you stop and why does one sector have priority over another sector. The whole country should stand together with one voice in regards to the taxing regime, but the goverments past and present have such a good job at dividing the nation this will never happen.
OMG the absolute cheek of them. How dare they even ask, what about the normal joe and Josephine Soap who are managing (with great difficulty) absolute joke
@Annette: guards are recruiting. Sign up
Spot on, and let’s not forget the nurse, etc as well,
Problem. If this benefit is granted to the Guards. Other groups would look for a similar grant.? Never ending. The Guards are transferred to locations so maybe there is a point there.
Sure can’t they live in them new communes that DCC are approving for building.
Make fab barracks for them, & they can split the LPT, bin charges, & other sneaky taxes that home buyers are saddled with, or even get the taxpayer to pay them too.
These public service unions need to be told that the taxpayer can’t take any more, they have good secure jobs, can apply for mortgages, get gold plated pensions( especially early retiring cops).
The entire economy is weighted in favour of our much vaunted public service, yet which is found wanting almost on a daily basis in some area of performance.
They already get an allowance. Its around 3K which was wrapped into their pay scale the last time that they treatened to go on strike.
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