Mr. Tomás Bourke:

Senator Brady is talking about the responsible people with permission or indeed the people who are keeping their dogs under effective control at all times. Unfortunately, and this is the reason we had no choice five years ago but to commence our campaign of no dogs allowed, the behaviour of a small minority is going to impact on the access that the responsible people are going to have to our farmland. We cannot continue to have dogs allowed on hills.

Deputy Kenny referenced an accidental breakout from the dog of somebody doing everything right. These things happen and can be addressed. However, the majority of attacks on our sheep and our livestock fall under one of two headings of owners, either arrogants or ignorants. The arrogants are the people who, for the various examples given, maybe illegal activities, assume entitlement and assume right. Then we have the ignorants, people who just do not appreciate. I would give some hop of the ball to the ignorant aspect of it. However, the arrogant aspect of it is in no way acceptable. A member of ours was physically abused on his own farmland not many miles from here, only a couple years ago. He was one of the first people to give access to his lands for recreational users.

When he merely asked for the person to keep his dog off his land, he was physically abused on his own farmland. We have to get to a situation where there can be no more confusion around that.