Following recent dog attacks on sheep in counties Cork and Clare, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national sheep chair, Adrian Gallagher has called for the introduction of “robust measures” from government.
During the incident in Co. Cork, 20 sheep were killed with more to be put down due to the severity of their injuries, while over seven were killed or injured in Co. Clare, according to Gallagher.
The IFA national sheep chair described both incidents as “another act of failure from government to put actions in place” when dealing with dog ownership across the country.
The association has put forward suggested measures to government, explaining what is needed to control dog attacks, however Gallagher said that there has not been any progress.
“Current systems in place are failing to protect farmers and their livestock. The level of sanctions that are in place do not reflect the level trauma these dogs are causing,” Gallagher said.
Dog attacks
Gallagher added that the absence of a centralised database to identify those responsible for the dogs and enforcement on the ground are “adding to this escalating issue”.
He said that “it is clear the existing obligations of dog owners are not been enforced”, due to the latest published figures of implementation of the local authorities.
The figures for 2023, show that 311 prosecutions were initiated and 34% of the 1,858 on spot fines were paid in 2023.
While pet dog numbers in Ireland remained relatively stable in the years leading up to 2020, numbers increased during the onset of Covid-19 against a backdrop of remote working and increased time at home.
Gallagher said that dog ownership laws currently fall between two different departments which has “led to gaps in oversight, enforcement, and accountability undermining the efforts to address the issue”.
He said that it has reached a stage were dog attacks are at “unprecedented levels and farmers have had enough”.