A Fianna Fail councillor has said "it's time to cull the gulls" as birds wreak havoc in the city centre.
Finglas-Ballymun councillor Keith Connolly has called on Dublin City Council to look at the possibility of culling the animals. Seagulls are a protected species under EU laws but exceptions can be made in certain circumstances.
There has been a steady increase in gulls around areas of Dublin City, with some people even being forced to move out of their homes. Eggs and nests were removed from Balbriggan in May 2017, in an effort to control the seagull population.
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Cllr Connolly said that the noise that the birds make is a serious disturbance in itself.
He said: "There is a serious issue with Seagulls in the city, there has been a steady increase in the population and the noise pollution alone warrants a cull.
"I have dealt with situations where nesting has forced people to temporarily move out of their homes. The bacteria from their faeces are a lot more dangerous than dog excrement and we have also had situations where sea and herring gulls are robbing food directly from people’s hands.
"I have written to the CEO of Dublin City Council, Owen Keegan, to ask if the possibility of a cull in some areas could be examined in conjunction with the Department of Heritage. I would also urge people not to feed seagulls as this escalates the problem”
Sinn Fein TD, Louise O'Reilly previously told Newstalk that gulls were becoming a "health and safety issue". She stressed that the birds were "making life miserable" for many Dubliners.
Deputy O'Reilly said: "I think it’s serious because it’s a public health and safety issue.
"I live in a coastal community and we have an issue around urban gulls. The population is increasing, we know that they're coming in from the sea.
"I have people living close to me who have (seagull) nests on their roof. They can’t sleep. I have a constituent who has 18 nests on her roof - her life has been made absolutely miserable.
"That’s before you even get to the obvious problems caused by seagull waste. We know they damage property, and keep people awake from around 5am in the morning."
Dublin Live has contacted Dublin City Council for comment.
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