We need a new system to handle Ireland's ongoing dog poo problem - with councils all over the country failing to hand out any dog fouling fines.

Newstalk Breakfast host Jonathan Healy was speaking as figures show just 82 dog fouling fines were handed out by local councils last year.

The data, compiled by the NCBI, found 18 councils around the country handed out no fines over the course of 2022.

Kerry County Council had the highest number of fines with 27, and the council reported that there were two convictions related to those fines.

Jonathan said the current system is not working.

"There's either an awful lot of constipated dogs the length and breadth of Ireland, or else we’re not bothering to enforce the law," he said.

"Dublin dogs must do it and bring it home themselves. Dublin City Council issued the sum total of no fines over the course of the year.

"Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council did better, only marginally so, they issued one fine.

"Fingal County Council gets best in class in Dublin because they issued nine."

Picture by: Tom Douglas/Newstalk

Dog fouling fines are the responsibility of the litter wardens, which Jonathan said in itself is an issue.

"The litter warden has to stand on corners waiting for you to come along for you to let your dog do its business and walk away and then they'll fine you," he said.

"As we know there's not enough litter wardens; they're out there tackling the big issue of illegal dumping - going through bin bags to find out has the offender left any incriminating evidence.

"The real challenge here is how do we stop it?

"Enforcement, by the look of it, clearly isn't working... we're not doing it at all.

"Either resource the problem properly so we can have more litter wardens about - seeing, waiting and watching - or maybe, as a society, we could get our act together on this?

"The solution is changing people's behaviour, and we normally do that through fines, the fines aren't working.

"How do we solve this problem?" he added.

Laois County Council said it had given out 96 mutt mitt dispensers to Tidy Towns groups around the county.

Tipperary County Council said it ran an anti-dog fouling stencil campaign in two municipal districts with messaging around cleaning up after a dog and about fines.

While Wexford County Council said it, among other things, had provided free pooper scoopers and bins in towns, villages and at blue flag beaches.

Main image: Jonathan Healy presenting Newstalk Breakfast in Cork, and a dog fouling on a beach