'Winged rats' are causing problems to local businesses and people in Waterford City Centre
That's according to Councillor Jason Murphy who says the presence of hundreds of pigeons in John Roberts Square is a public nuisance, especially when people feed them.
He says pigeons can be frightening, swooping into people and carry a health risk
He is calling on the Council to put up signage advising people not to feed the birds
"The only positive thing that has come out of the Covid-19 pandemic in Waterford is that a cafe culture has emerged around the city and it's a good thing. You can see people sitting around having a coffee, having something to eat. I noticed over the last while particularly around areas like John Roberts Square the preponderance of nuisance birds, I've described them as 'winged rats'. Now I'm talking hundreds, maybe thousand of pigeons and seagulls."
"I don't think there's a need for any kind of of a cull but we do need to discourage the feeding of pigeons in the city centre area. What I'm asking for is the council to put in by-laws to prohibit the feeding of the birds in the city centre. I don't want to be too sever on anyone who's heart is in the right place and I certainly don't want to be putting in any kind of financial penalty on anything.
"There is a few people who feed these birds around and it's causing a huge public nuisance. There is hygiene implication and health and safety implications. I've seen on a number of occasions people been flown into by pigeons and seagulls particularly young children. It's having an impact on business and they've been on to me because they're concerned. People are getting up and leaving when hundreds and hundreds of these pigeons and seagulls start to congregate in the area."
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