Waterford councillors told dog warden deployment not up for discussion
Council official said dog warden issues a matter for HR.
Decisions on how dog wardens are deployed are not for discussion at council meetings, Waterford councillors have been told.
Senior Executive Officer in the Environmental Department, Dawn Wallace, was responding to a query from Cllr Joe O’Riordan at the March sitting of the Dungarvan-Lismore District Council.
Cllr O’Riordan was highlighting a recent incident of a dog that was loose on the N25.
He said the local dog warden was unable to attend the incident, and a warden from the city had to travel out.
“Now, this seems to be a systemic weakness considering the potential damage a loose dog on a busy main road could pose. Is it possible the local warden could be empowered to deal with these possible critical situations without the city warden having to travel down,” said Cllr O’Riordan.
Ms Wallace responded that these were HR issues and not for discussion at council meetings.
On seeing the councillor's confusion, Ms Wallace clarified: “You asked about the dog warden and how we deploy our staff. They are operational decisions.” Cllr O’Riordan responded: “With respect, someone has to drive from Waterford to get a dog off a road. Isn’t that a matter of health and safety?” Ms Wallace ended the discussion by reiterating that this was an operational decision.
The incident on the N25 was just one of the dog warden queries at the March sitting.
Cllr John Pratt told the council that a dog warden from another jurisdiction had contacted him about dogs being mistreated in his district.
Cllr Pratt said that while the wardens know where the animals are and that they are being mistreated, they do not have the authority to act.
He asked if the local dog warden could be empowered to do so.
“I think it is important that is followed up and ensured that the dogs are taken off,” said Cllr Pratt.
Ms Wallace responded that animal welfare concerns are not under the remit of the dog warden.
She said that if an individual is concerned about an animal being mistreated, they should contact the ISPCA.
