Gardaí have confirmed that inquiries are ongoing into an alleged dog attack on sheep in Co. Wicklow.

According to Wicklow Uplands Council "dog control has become a major issue for upland sheep farmers".

It has warned that as "recreational use of the hills" has increased this in turn has resulted in a "growing presence of uncontrolled dogs".

"Uncontrolled dogs are a serious threat to the livelihood of upland farmers," the council has warned.

According to Gardaí one alleged dog attack was reported in the Roundwood area of Co. Wicklow on October 19.

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) national sheep chair, Adrian Gallagher, believes that ongoing dog attacks on sheep highlight the continued issues around "enforcement".

"When dog owners are not responsible they must face the consequences of their actions - there needs to be the right structures and sanctions in place to reflect the impact - both financial and emotional - of these attacks on sheep," Gallagher said.

The IFA national sheep chair said he welcomes moves by the government including the national awareness campaign launched earlier this year "to remind dog owners of their responsibilities" but Gallagher said this, on its own, is not enough.

The campaign – ‘It’s not your dog’s fault, it’s yours’ - aimed to increase awareness of the harm that out of control dogs can do to people and to livestock.

In Budget 2025 the Department of Rural and Community Development received an additional €3.4 million for dog control work, including €1.4 million to promote responsible dog ownership, and once off capital of €2 million in 2025 to improve dog control infrastructure.

Gallagher would also like to see the government introduce a "centralised database" and more robust enforcement of licensing and microchipping of dogs.

"We need more peopled on the ground - more dog wardens dealing with this and if all dogs were microchipped then authorities would immediately be able to identify the owner if there was an issue," he added.