Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to address an important issue which affects communities across the countryside, namely, the need for robust dog control legislation. It is required for many reasons, including protecting our livestock. Robust dog control legislation can protect our vulnerable livestock, such as sheep, from being attacked and killed by dogs. These attacks not only result in financial losses for farmers, but also cause immense suffering for animals. Such legislation would ensure public safety. Implementing dog control laws would help to prevent dogs attacking people, which can lead to severe injuries, and even fatalities, by holding dog owners accountable for the behaviour of their pets. It would also promote responsible dog ownership. All-inclusive dog control legislation will encourage responsible ownership practices, such as training, socialisation and the proper containment of dogs. It would make sure that dogs are traceable with microchipping, licensing, DNA databases and educating dog owners about their responsibilities and the potential consequences for irresponsible behaviour.

We have a responsibility in the House to promote and facilitate animal welfare. By preventing dog attacks on sheep, we will ensure the safety of our livestock. The devastating effects of these attacks not only results in economic losses for farmers, but also the immense consequences for those who witness such an attack. I have listened to farmers who have stopped sheep farming altogether because they cannot take it any more. They cannot mentally or financially take the hit of witnessing animals being tortured to death, brutally attacked and ripped to shreds.

We have to take proactive measures to protect our sheep and prevent these incidents from occurring over and over again. There is a commitment in the programme for Government in this regard. We have to implement stricter dog control laws. Those laws could help farmers by ensuring that they have the right to ban dogs from their land and commonage. In the Cooley Mountains in County Louth, farmers are tortured and run ragged trying to protect their sheep. Dog owners are not adhering to signage and do not care about farmers asking for no dogs in the mountains. They do not care about animal welfare. They are selfishly bringing dogs into areas with sheep and do not care about the damage they do. Quite often, they have the audacity to get aggressive when confronted about these issues. I find it absolutely shocking that people continuously do this. They do it because there are very few consequences. There are not enough dog wardens, and they do not have enough resources or powers. This has to change.

Earlier today, I spoke to Niamh and Eamonn Monahan, from Inniskeen, County Monaghan, who have had enough. After four serious dog attacks over the past five years, they have been incredibly vocal in local and national media about this issue. The photos of what the dogs did to their sheep are so graphic that one would genuinely think a bear had attacked them. They are absolutely horrific. Even the sheep that survived had complications when giving birth. A vet had to be on hand to perform C-sections and breech births occurred due to wombs being twisted. Nine of their lambs died before they were born. This is all down to the worry inflicted on the poor wee animals during the chase.

Farmers have had enough. Niamh Monahan conducted a survey which asked people about their experiences, to which 558 farmers replied. Of those, 409 had experienced dog attacks, including 88% of hill farmers and 80% of lowland farmers. They are asking for greater awareness for dog owners and the damage their pets can do. I ask the Minister of State to show the Bonzo advertisement on our screens again. It was really effective and most of us of a certain age will remember it. Just because it is old does not mean it is not effective. It was important, and showed that even the most placid dog can become a ruthless killer. We need to have dogs DNA tested when they are getting microchipped. A microchip needs to be connected to a licence to ensure we have a greater chance of checking dogs.

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