Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys has told farmers that increasing fines, and increasing the number of dog wardens, as well as restricting some breeds, are among the options which will likely adopted to reduce and prevent dog attacks.
The minister was speaking at a Fine Gael regional conference on the future of agriculture at the Ard Rí Hotel in Tuam, Co. Galway last night (Thursday, February 23).
She acknowledged that dog attacks is a topical issue at the moment given the attack in recent months in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford which resulted in serious injuries for a young boy.
Minister Humphreys also acknowledged that many farmers have experienced dog attacks on their flocks or herds.
“I know there’s people in this room who have seen situations where sheep have been killed because of roaming dogs and that can have devastating consequences,” Minister Humphreys said.
Dog control
Minister Humphreys told the gathering that she and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue will receive a report next week from officials on the options available in terms of regulating dog control.
She said the officials had met with the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) this week to garner its views on the matter.
The IFA has long been calling for more stringent legislation to curb dog attacks on livestock.
The minister said: “There are different options on the table. So, it’s about increasing fines; it’s about increasing the number of wardens and it’s about restricting breeds.
“I’m not ruling anything out and very shortly we will publish our set of actions, but I do believe that this is an issue we need to be very strong on.”
Several farming organisations have been critical of what they describe as the state’s “inaction” thus far on controlling roaming dogs in rural areas.
The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) previously stated: “This scattered approach, which continues today, undermines any serious attempt in controlling dogs and leaves our sheep farmers in limbo.”