Appropriate sanctions must be in place for those who fail to have their dog under control at all times, and the Minister for Agriculture must implement the necessary controls as a matter of urgency, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
The IFA National Sheep Committee chairperson Sean Dennehy said that farmers’ patience with the authorities on this issue “is fast running out”, as he highlighted an incident recently that left over 20 more sheep fatalities from dog attacks in Co. Tipperary.
Need for ‘appropriate sanctions’
Dennehy said the significant increase in dog attacks in recent months remains a serious concern for farmers and that the message “is simply not getting through”.
“The Minister for Agriculture [Charlie McConalogue] must advance controls and enforcements for negligent dog owners. We need a single national database for all dogs in the country that identifies the dog owner who is responsible,” Dennehy said.
“There must be appropriate sanctions in place for those who fail to have their dog under control at all times, and for those whose dogs are identified worrying/attacking livestock.”
He added that the lack of action from the government and local authorities to “put appropriate sanctions in place to deal with the irresponsible behaviour of dog owners is unacceptable”.
The IFA’s ‘No Dogs Allowed‘ campaign continues, to highlight the damage uncontrolled dogs can inflict on animals and the need for appropriate legislation to protect farmers and their livestock.