A SENATOR HAS launched a tirade against dog walkers who she said are responsible for a “phenomenal” amount of dog faeces in Irish villages.

Former Minister Regina Doherty made her comments during a speech today in which she criticised people for hanging bags of dog droppings on bushes.

Doherty also said she was in shock to hear that there were 800,000 dogs in the country but just 217,000 dog licences.

“This is, and it’s particularly kind of topical in conversation for the last maybe 12 months because we all are walking around our villages, because we bloody well have nothing else to do, but the amount of poo in this country is absolutely phenomenal,” she said.

“I think we all know why like. I’ve been around my house every time we bring the dog for a walk, (saying) ‘no you are on the bag today’ because we all hate carrying the bags but if there were bloody bins in our villages then you wouldn’t have to carry the bag, the whole way.

“That would stop people, hiding them in hedges and hanging them on bushes, because it never ceases to amaze me the idiocy of people who do that, but it can only be because people don’t want to carry them the five kilometres around their village,” she added.

Doherty called for an awareness campaign but added that it would be “very valuable” to place bins in villages, walkways and greenways.

“To be forward-thinking when we’re actually providing new routes for people and planning routes around our own villages, or whatever, to make sure that we have the facilities there for people to just dispose of, what obviously comes naturally to our dog, when we bring them into our houses,” added the senator.

Doherty finished her view with “sorry for that rant”. She also raised concerns about dogs attacking sheep on farmland.  

She said she would raise the issue with the relevant Minister.

“Most people in our towns and villages don’t realise the impacts of when your dog runs out of your house,” she added.

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