Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The group will meet next week and I have asked it to prioritise the issue of the restricted breeds. I have asked it to look at this. The XL bully is a crossbreed of the American bully. It is already on the restricted breeds list. This means people have to control their dogs on a short leash and muzzle when out in public. People who own these dogs have levels of responsibilities.

I have increased the fines for dogs that are not kept under proper control. I have given €2 million to local authorities so that dog wardens have what they need in terms of vans and equipment. There has been a major publicity campaign on responsible dog ownership with advertisements on national and local media in recent months. I am taking this matter extremely seriously. This is why I asked the former deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey to chair the group. This in itself sends out a very clear message on how serious I am about strengthening the enforcement on dog controls. The task force will prioritise the area of restricted breeds. If it recommends banning these restricted breeds or banning the XL bully, I will have no problem doing so. We just have to work out what the impact of banning will be.

See this speech in context