Frank McNamara

That way the seagull population will be deterred

from being in the town during that time.

It's been done in other cities.

Well, I don't think so, Clare, to be honest.

They're just scaring them away.

They act as a deterrent.

And you can train these birds.

That's the thing, Clare.

So in other words, you just train them to go on patrol in the sky and they go to and from the hawkerie.

And they're maintained by humans who control them.

But they are a very effective deterrent from seagulls from hanging around because they're obviously afraid of hawkers.

a hawk or a falcon.

Well, I mean, that'd be a novel idea for packaging, I guess, of sandwiches in Dun Laoghaire.

But I'm thinking I'm going to stick with my hawk idea for the time being.

It's a real problem, Clare, because you see, the wildlife acts that have been drafted many, many years ago, the seagull population was significantly less back then.

And as a result, they are actually a protected species.

So it is very difficult for a county council like myself

to bring in policies to deal with the seagull population because they are still protected.

But as I say, a hawkery would deter them.

It wouldn't actually, you know, there wouldn't be any violence, but I think it would be quite effective.