Is it a bird, is it a plane?
Recently this blog's old friend DUP MLA Jim Shannon provoked some mirth for asking the Environment Minister "to detail the number of incidences of dog fouling, and the resulting number of prosecutions, broken down by district council area, in each of the last two years."
But just to show that the subject of natural deposits is a cross community concern, we need look no further than Sinn Fein's Councillor Philip McGuigan whose recent statement on bird fouling deserves quoting at length.
"This is and has been a serious ongoing problem for the people affected. Large numbers of birds congregate on NIE electricity lines above peoples gardens and property with the result that gardens, cars and other property are covered in bird foul"
"In these circumstances, people are unable to hang washing out, or indeed permit their children to play in their own gardens."
"I have, over a period of time, made contact with NIE on behalf of a number of constituents in Dunloy and other local villages but I feel the response of NIE has been unsatisfactory."
"Their only solution is the ludicrous suggestion of the homeowner continually making noise to scare the birds off, or for the people to purchase rollers for the overhead cables at a price of £500."
"In my opinion NIE should be shouldering the responsibility of addressing this problem. This means incurring any associated costs to ensure that the positioning of their cables is not having a detrimental impact on the quality of life of their customers."
Some of my colleagues aren't taking this seriously. But as the resident of a house where the birds gorge themselves on blackberries before doing an impression of Guy Gibson's Dambusters, I am cheering Councillor McGuigan on from the sidelines.
I'm 
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Did he really say that?
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Great to see the DUP and Sinn Fein discussing animal droppings so conscientiously. Ahem. Sounds like a cross between Al Pacino's "Dog Day Afternoon" and Jack Nicholson's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
Perhaps the DUP could assist Sinn Fein's concerns about bird droppings by letting them know where loyalists get their hands on illegal fireworks - that would certainly put paid to the bird dropping problem.
On a more serious note, anyone in England whose home is crossed by electricity lines is entitled to claim thousands of pounds in compensation ... perhaps that would be a more pragmatic and financially beneficial route to explore!
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Maybe he wants an air fly zone declared. It seems easier to block roads in Dunloy.
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