Rats run rampant in Laois Housing Estate
Image for illustration purposes
RATS are running rampant through the Esker Hills housing estate, which sits on Ridge Road near Portlaoise Leisure Centre.
Day and night residents have watched with growing concern as the rats spill out from the pond, which lies near the entrance of the housing estate, and proceed to rustle across the lawns and little green areas scattered across Esker Hills, where so many of the residents' children are frequently at play.
Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald brought the bad news to a Portlaoise Municipal District meeting this week, when she advocated for a swift resolution to the growing problem.
The Fianna Fáil councillor warned that this has been a serious worry for residents living in the area of Esker Hills. She said: "Huge rats coming out of the pond, not just during the night but during the day and people are getting very, very nervous."
The recent rise in rat sightings in residential areas has been echoed across Ireland as a whole, Cllr Fitzgerald highlighted, with the recent surge in rainfall that has dogged Irish skies the past few months being largely to blame.
She urged the chair to organise a meeting with the Laois Co Council environment department quickly, so that the issue could be resolved for residents as soon as possible.
Concerns were raised about a recent apparent rise in pest problems countywide, with Cllr Barry Walsh advocating that Laois County Council look into finding those areas most afflicted and trying to ascertain why they had become so plagued.
He also urged that LCC work to educate people more about pest control. He said: "Just maybe a bit of signage. A bit of education in the areas where people might be more likely to be affected by it."
A representative of Laois County Council said that a meeting would be organised with the environment department to address the issues.
