Environment « Thurles Information

Thurles Public Disappointed By Litter Collection Failure.

Thurles.info is disappointed to report that once again the litter bins within the Thurles Town Park area are overflowing this weekend.

**Situation as at Saturday evening May 8th 2021**.
**The above six individual bins were located in the area of Thurles Town Park**.
*Pictures G.Willoughby*.

Although we had reported that some improvement was evident last weekend, it would appear that the path to progress may be slower than we had anticipated.

Two issues have emerged which stand as obstacles to improvement.

Firstly, it would appear that the bins are not being emptied on a sufficiently regular basis. The bins were emptied before last bank holiday weekend, but they were not emptied this weekend and rubbish has piled up again.

Secondly, the extra bins added to the Town Park lack any signage to indicate that they are there for the public to use. Consequently, they are being overlooked and remain relatively empty.

We know someone is listening to the pleas of the public and we are grateful to them, but we now ask that they address the issues of infrequent rubbish collection and poor signage as a matter of priority.

Please help to keep this wonderful amenity, that is Thurles Town Park, tidy.

Dog Faeces & Civic Pride.

Thurles as a midland town has everything one could wish for; Theatres, Nightclubs, a Swimming pool, Gyms, a Museum, a County Library, excellent Shops, Restaurants, Hotels, Top Primary & Secondary Schools, Two Excellent Third Level Institutions and a very low crime rate. Indeed, as a place to live you could not find better, with caring neighbours and for the moment at least, affordable housing.

The Covid-19 pandemic in Co. Tipperary has seen an upsurge in the purchase of dogs as household pets. In turn, prices for dogs have soared in value and lockdown has even led to a higher business turnover for vets, because of this wish to increase canine ownership.

During lockdown people have turned to ‘man’s best friend’ for comfort and support and dogs have been a positive addition, great company and even protection for those living alone in many homes.

This sudden increase in dog ownership has regrettably demonstrated a negative side also. One major downside for people residing in Thurles, (whether they own a dog or not), has been an increase in dog fouling around our streets and public park areas. This has suddenly given an annual voice to some local councillors and to community activists, latter with an eye to becoming possible future councillors.

**An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas?** **Irish**: *Can I go to the toilet?*

With more people out exercising their new dogs, instances of dog defecation on footpaths have risen somewhat and many local residents have become mildly annoyed by the problem, especially those whose homes directly open unto footpaths and road frontage.

Dog Fouling – One Solution.

If dog fouling is a problem on our streets, what can we do to solve it and who can we turn to for help?

Local authorities are responsible for the control of dogs under the Control of Dogs Act 1986. They can appoint dog wardens, impose fines and take court action against dog owners. Tipperary County Council currently employ two dog wardens.

Although one might be quick to criticise Tipperary County Council officials and their appointed dog wardens, for failing to deal with the situation, dog fouling is a nationwide problem that all Municipal District Councils are finding extremely difficult to manage.
Why? Because Dog fouling is almost impossible to police under current legislation. To impose a fine on a dog owner who lets their dog defecate on a footpath without appropriate remedy; you need to catch them in the act and they have to refuse to clean it up. Most people when directly shamed or threatened with a fine by the dog warden, will pick up their dog’s faeces.

Under these conditions, it’s not realistic to expect a dog warden alone, to deal with such issues, especially when one also considers the fact that the majority of people walk their dogs early in the morning and late in the evening, when the dog warden is off duty.
With few onlookers and the public in general reluctant to shame such individuals into compliance, and with the dog warden’s back turned, it is a temptation during quieter times of the day to leave dog faeces on the footpath.

Thankfully, this issue has already been recognized at government level. The existing laws to deal with dog fouling are now recognised as being inadequate. A more logical and practical approach to policing irresponsible dog owners has been proposed through a Bill (Deputy Seán Crowe TD, Dublin South West), to amend the Litter Pollution Act of 1997. Mr Crowe seeks to amend existing legislation to, “make it an offence for a person, in charge of a dog in a public area, to fail to produce evidence of having a suitable bag or other instrument with which to dispose properly of dog faeces, when requested to do so by a dog warden, a litter warden or a member of An Garda Síochána”.
This proposal Bill therefore if adopted, (and there is every probability that it will be unobstructed) will make recent local radio and press reports almost antiquated.

More However Is Still Needed

More effective policing is certainly one solution, but much more is also needed. Once a dog owner picks up their dog faeces, it is vital that they have a suitable place to dispose of it. This is one small area where Tipperary County Council can do more; by simply installing an adequate network of bins on our streets and in our park lands. At least then, dog owners won’t be deterred from cleaning up, in the knowledge they are no longer forced to carry dog faeces on their person, over long distances.

To be fair to Tipperary County Council, same have provided dispensers and free bags (Mutt Mitt a degradable pick-Up Mitt), and raised awareness of the issue.

Dog fouling is not only an unsightly and filthy nuisance, but it is also a dangerous health risk. Dog faeces can expose us to illnesses, with children and pregnant women most at risk. Toxocariasis, an albeit rare condition, can be contracted from infected dog faeces and can cause organ damage and eye disease.

“Every problem has a solution and if a problem doesn’t have a solution, then it’s a fact of life, legislate or live with it.”

There’s a wise old saying, “Every problem has a solution and if a problem doesn’t have a solution, then it’s a fact of life, legislate or live with it.”
Dog fouling doesn’t have to be a fact of of life, but the solution to the problem of dog faeces isn’t simple either. It will involve a combination of better legislation, policing, deterrents, facilities, education and greater public awareness.
Tipperary County Council will have a lot more work to do, to change dog owners mindsets, but in the end local pedestrians, prampushers and cyclists will be extremely grateful and supportive.

Single Use Plastic – A Major Environmental Challenge

Plastic is everywhere and at the rate we discard it, some experts predict, that by 2050, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish. It is estimated that about 8 million tonnnes of plastic ends up in our oceans each year. Once there, it is difficult to get rid of, because plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose.

Plastic waste is a major environmental challenge and one of the biggest plastic problems concerns single use plastic. Items like plastic straws, cups, cutlery, food wrapping and bottles account for at least half of the plastic dumped each year. We use these items once, sometimes for a matter of minutes, and they end up polluting the planet for hundreds of years. Instead of using plastic items once and then dumping them, we can try these simple but powerful alternatives.

Get a Refillable Water Bottle.

In Thurles, we are blessed with a clean and healthy drinking water supply, so why not opt for tap water instead of bottled water? If a person buys a bottle of water ever day, that’s 365 plastic bottles a year. Imagine that sight in your back garden? By simply buying a refillable bottle, not only will you be saving the planet, but you’ll also save yourself a lot of money.

Get a Coffee KeepCup.

We all enjoy a takeaway coffee but although the cups are often made from paper, the lids are typically made from plastic. Thankfully, coffee shops, including our own local Costa and Deja Brew, sell KeepCups. KeepCups are reusable hot drink cups. Once purchased, you bring your KeepCup to your coffee shop every time you fancy a coffee and they will fill that instead of a single use cup.

Bring You Own Container.

Just like the reusable KeepCup in coffee shops, it is becoming increasingly popular for customers to bring their own containers to shops. Many eco-conscious consumers bring their own container to a shop, deli or butcher. Instead of having their produce put in a plastic bag, they ask that their food items be put in their own reusable containers.

Dump the Plastic Wrap.

Each year we wrap food in millions of metres of plastic wrap. Instead of reaching for cling film, why not keep your food covered in a reusable container. Glass containers are best because they cut down on plastic production. It is also generally accepted that heating food in plastic containers is not good for your health, because of the potential for chemicals to be released into foods from plastic when heated.

Many of us too depend on cling film to wrap our sandwiches, but there is a healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative. Made by ‘The Paper Lunch Bag Co. Ashbury, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary’, Lón an Lae, [translated “The days Lunch”], are paper sandwich bags perfectly sized for school or work sandwich snacks. They are available to buy in local Thurles grocery shops in packs of 50.

Opt for Food in the Nude.

No, we are not suggesting that you walk around Thurles naked eating an apple, God forbid! No, ‘Food in the Nude’ is a movement that started in New Zealand and aims to stop the practice of buying fruits, vegetables and other products wrapped in plastic where possible. So, for example, instead of selling carrots on a polystyrene tray wrapped in cling film, shops sell loose carrots. The practice has proven extremely successful in New Zealand. It has not only reduced plastic use, but it has proven to be more economical for consumers and reduced food waste, because customers buy what they actually need, rather than being forced into buying a big bag of something that they won’t use in its entirety. We are very fortunate here in Thurles that our local grocery shops sell loose fruit and vegetables, so ditch the plastic wrapped options when you can.

These are just some of the ways that you can help to reduce plastic waste. Remember, the smallest changes can have a powerful impact. Single use plastic remains a huge international scourge. The problem is so serious that the EU have even developed a directive on single use plastic. For more information on single use plastic and it’s fate under new EU plans click HERE.

Swallows Have Arrived Back In Co. Tipperary.

The first Swallows of 2021 arrived here in Co. Tipperary some 14 days ago, as first spotted and reported by Littleton correspondent Mr Michael Bannon.

The Swallows, now visiting Tipperary, weigh in at about 20 grams and have flown over 5000 km, passing over the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea, just to share our air space and rear a family, before returning home in Early September.

These beautiful ‘Barn Swallows’, as they are commonly called, because of their favoured nesting sites, (built of mud and lined, close to overhead shelters in locations that are protected from the weather), have a distinctive appearance, [See featured picture], and are highly adapted to aerial feeding, consuming up to an estimated 850 flies and mosquitoes, per bird, each day, during their 4 month residence here.

If you are lucky enough to house a nest of Swallows this summer, a single couple together with their new born, could eliminate some 3,000 flies and mosquitoes per day, during their sojourn in your area, making them a most effective and environmentally friendly insecticide.

“Swallows High – Staying Dry”

“Swallows High – Staying dry”, my very wise grandmother Eliza Jane would often recite; as she finished her outdoor activities of a summers evening. Rural dwellers, back then, were far more observant of Mother Nature’s ways than possibly most people today.

Of course Swallows, as stated, swoop and dive plucking insects from the air. On fine days, when air pressure is high, tiny insects are swept up high on warm thermal currents which rise from the earths surface. This forces Swallows to head upwards after them, in search of food.

When air pressure is low, rain is more likely, and Swallows, in search of a meal, will find it necessary to swoop closer to the ground to find a meal.
Thus this bird behaviour provides an excellent guide to current and future, short term, weather conditions.

Drivers Asked To Take Care In Liberty Square Thurles.

People driving through Liberty Square, Thurles are being asked to take great care, as high winds have brought about the uprooting of temporary plastic barrier railings, bollards and directional signage.

The barriers, bollards and signage are essential, as part of Thurles towns regeneration project, but exceptionally, unexpected high winds have now uprooted and scattered these items which are being freely and uncontrollably blown around the area.

Thurles Gardaí have been notified, and are attempting to contact the developer, but in the meanwhile, please do take great care.