Stronger regulations a 'first step' in protecting livestock from dog attacks
New regulations will see dog owners face €300 on-the-spot fines for failing to keep their dogs under control, coming into effect on December 1.
Stronger regulations and funding for dog control announced recently is a "first step", but more must be done to protect livestock from dog attacks, the Irish Farmers' Association has said.Â
Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has announced a suite of new measures designed to enhance dog control.
New regulations will see dog owners face €300 on-the-spot fines for failing to keep their dogs under control, coming into effect on December 1.
IFA sheep chairman Kevin Comiskey said more still needs to be done to protect farmers and their livestock.
The IFA had looked for a single national database for all dogs to correlate licensing and microchipping, identifying the person responsible for the dog, and increasing the number of dog wardens on the ground.Â
Mr Comiskey said an "essential aspect" of enhanced legislation will be enforcement, which will require more dog wardens on the ground as recommended in the report of the working group on control of dogs put forward to the minister.
"It’s disappointing more of the positive measures put forward by the working group on control of dogs were not implemented. These would provide significant support to farmers in protecting their livestock," Mr Comiskey said.
He said the "irresponsible behaviour" of dog owners continues to lead to "devastating consequences" across the country.
Mr Comiskey added that dogs "should not be allowed near farmland" and urged all dog owners to behave in a responsible way and adhere to this.
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association said that for sheep farmers, "the most devastating thing that can happen is to have their flock attacked and mauled by dogs and unfortunately this is happening way too often".
INHFA vice president John Joe Fitzgerald said it was hoped "that real proposals backed by a substantial budget to ensure enforcement" would be announced.Â
"However, what we have got is a token effort with no recognition of concerns detailed by farmers both on our lowlands and on our hills, where the problem is exacerbated by some hill walkers that defy requests to not bring dogs onto our hills," Mr Fitzgerald said.Â
Minister Humphreys also announced the establishment of a €2m fund to upgrade local authority dog shelter facilities and vehicles nationwide.Â
She also confirmed that a high-level stakeholder group will be asked to consider wider issues such as expanding the list of 'restricted breeds'.Â
This is in light of a series of worrying recent incidents involving dog attacks.
"Dogs can be a wonderful addition to a family or farm, however, dog owners must take responsibility to ensure their dogs do not cause harm or nuisance to people or property," Ms Humphreys said.
"I want to send a strong message to dog owners – if your dog is not controlled, you will be fined. If you own a restricted dog, you must comply with the regulations."
