Dublin councillors push for major expansion in off-leash dog areas across city
Dublin city councillors are pushing to introduce dog off-leash areas across the capital, including in the densely-populated inner city.
A motion introduced by Green Party councillor Feljin Jose at the July monthly meeting seeks to introduce one off-leash area in each of the 11 local electoral areas of the city.
These are: Artane-Whitehall, Ballyfermot-Drimnagh, Ballymun-Finglas, Cabra-Glasnevin, Clontarf, Donaghmede, Kimmage-Rathmines, North Inner City, Pembroke, South East Inner City and the South West Inner City.
Mr Feljin told the chamber he researched Dublin’s designated off-leash areas and found there were 10 across Fingal County Council, five in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and four in South Dublin County Council.
Dublin City Council has only one such designated space, he said, in Clontarf’s St Anne’s Park.
“I’d argue that if anything, we probably have a greater need for dog off-leash areas in the city compared to the suburban areas,” said Mr Jose.
“We have smaller houses, we have people with smaller gardens, no gardens, dogs in apartments, dogs in cottages.
“All I’m asking for is a small area, maybe like a fifth of the size of a football pitch, some activities, a bin and a sign. I don’t think it’s much and I don’t think it’s going to be particularly expensive, but I think it would be a good start.”
Councillors from across the chamber supported the motion, with Labour’s Dermot Lacey saying that elected representatives had been seeking more dog-friendly spaces for years.
Social Democrats councillor Karl Stanley agreed, and said Fairview Park would be an ideal place for a new off-leash area, considering its size.
He added that dog-specific areas could be particularly useful in tackling the city’s dog poo problem.
“If people had a place they could go to walk their dog that had adequate provision for putting the dog waste, I think it would actually have a huge knock-on effect for the cleanliness of our community.”
However Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre Heney said that in her experience, St Anne’s Park’s dog area had not been a success and she didn’t wish to see it replicated.
“It is a very dangerous place for some animals and for some small children,” she said.
Ms Heney suggested that areas of larger parks should be used for dogs instead of fenced off-leash spaces, which she said were “too controlled for animals”.
DCC assistant chief executive Eileen Quinlivan said she would be “happy to engage” with councillors on the matter.
She suggested a working group or workshop be set up, made up of representatives from across the city, to agree a path forward and tease out issues.
“That may or may not be workable depending on the nature of the park, the nature of the park users, and as councillor Heney has pointed out, the behaviour of dogs, certain types of dogs, can create difficulties there,” she said.
Mr Lacey urged that any workshop should start from the position of implementing the motion, rather than “having a further chat about whether dog runs are desirable or not”.
The council executive committed to a September workshop on the matter, which would report to the next meeting of the Community, Gaeilge, Sport, Arts and Culture Committee.