Just 47 fines were issued for dog fouling nationwide last year - despite most local authorities reporting an increase in canine litter since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Social media users have complained of bags of faeces being left suspended from railings and branches. The extent of the perennial but escalating problem was highlighted by politicians at council meetings in at least 13 different counties within the past month alone.
However, according to figures compiled by RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, around half of the country’s local authorities failed to issue a single fine for dog fouling in 2020 as they struggle to reprimand those who refuse to clean up their animal’s mess.