An external rodent survey of a private house near the city centre earlier this month has revealed the worst residential infestation one rat catcher has seen in 19 years, with around 50 normally nocturnal rodents recorded openly climbing up ivy in broad daylight, or along boundary walls, indicating more than 100 inside, and probably more.
“Rats are inherently suspicious of anything new, so if they’re eating porridge the whole time, they’re not going to go near traps with poison in them,” says Cathal Dockery of Westpest Control, who says he has complete sympathy with council officials’ frustration at their inability to tackle the problem at its root cause – porridge oats spread on pavements throughout the city centre.
A secondary issue is magpies and jackdaws feeding on rat carcasses, which presents a potential airborne public health risk from increased droppings in public areas, and a rise in feral cats in some city centre neighbourhoods.
The Advertiser has seen official documents on the survey carried out two weeks ago, but has chosen not to publish the address. Council officials consistently request councillors to refrain from commenting in monthly meetings on the city’s oaty problem.
It is understood a number of fines have been issued in recent weeks in relation to pavement porridge, but informed sources suggest there has been no response so far.
Under the 1919 Rats and Mice Destruction Act, property owners may be fined if they do not take steps to deal with an infestation, but Public Health officials say no prosecution has ever been pursued in Galway in living memory.
The area around Mill Street Garda station, Fr Burke Park and the riverside walk from Bridge Street to Newtownsmith are the current hotspots for rodents, with porridge spread along ledges making rats particularly visible at eye-level to passers by, especially at dusk.
Dockery is at pains to point out that Galway does not have a vermin problem compared to any other Irish city: it has a porridge problem, with the spreading of oats in public places making rats much more visible from their usual hiding places.
“Rats need food, water and harbourage. Remove one, and they will decline. They are usually there all the time below street level, but this food spread on paths is drawing them up, and the dry, stone walls in the city centre are perfect habitat for them. The Council – which does excellent work all year – has its hands tied on this though, as someone keeps spreading porridge, which is a very visual reminder that there is an ongoing issue,” he said.
Porridge spread at the gateway to Fr Burke Park – which recently received a €240,000 upgrade to its playground facilities, is attracting rats and pigeons, while the stone walls along the confluences of the St Clare, Parkavera and Madeira rivers near Mill Street Garda station is another hot spot. Rats along the scenic river walk along the east bank of the Corrib are now a daily occurrence.
“The irony here is that whoever is spreading oats may think they are helping the birds, but pest control is going to have to come into the equations soon enough, They’re literally killing them with kindness.”
Galway City Council said it did not wish to comment on this article.
