Action demanded in Laois and other counties to stop dog carnage

Laois County Council, other local authorities and national Government cannot ignore dog attacks on livestock, according to the IFA's President Francie Gorman.

The Ballinakill man said, however, that local and national Governments have failed to address the issue.

“The lack of robust enforcement of the legal obligations on dog owners has allowed these attacks to persist and increase across the country and it is unacceptable,” said Mr Gorman at the launch of the 2024 edition of the ‘No Dogs Allowed’ Campaign.

“Farmers have had enough and it’s time for decisive action to protect our livestock. We are demanding stronger regulations and stricter enforcement for those who disregard the safety and wellbeing of our livestock immediately,” he said.

The IFA says has committed to participating in a new Dog Control Stakeholder group but it insists that it has consistently specified what has to be done. It pinpointed eight areas of action.

1. A single national database for all dogs correlating licensing and microchipping and identifying the person responsible for the dog, but at a minimum alignment of the existing licensing and microchipping records to one central access point.
2. Full enforcement of microchipping and licensing obligations of dog owners.
3. Stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens and Gardaí and clarity on these powers.
4. Increased on the spot fines for failing to comply with the microchipping and licensing requirements.
5. Increased sanctions and on the spot fines for failing to have the dog under control.
6. Significant on the spot fines for dogs found worrying livestock.
7. Legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped and licensed and identified on the NVPS (National Veterinary Prescribing System) prior to any veterinary treatment or prescribing of medicines by veterinary practitioners.
8. Authority to apply the legislative obligations to dogs in border regions owned by persons not resident in the state.

IFA President Francie Gorman with Marion Boyce, Michael Boyce, Michael Boyce Snr  as they launch the IFA’s No Dogs campaign on the Boyce farm outside in Donegal.  Photo: Clive Wasson

IFA National Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said stronger regulations announced in November was a step in the right direction but does not go far enough to protect livestock from dog attacks.

“It is unacceptable that these practical proposals have not been acted on. IFA has consistently called for appropriate sanctions and to develop a single national database identifying dogs and their owners, similar to that in other jurisdictions.

“The critical issue in the first instance is to have all dogs in the country microchipped, registered to the owner and licensed in order to establish a national database for all dogs and the person responsible for the dog. Implementing stronger legislation and sanctions reflective of the damage and trauma these dogs cause on farms has been key to our campaign and would be a significant step in delivering for farmers,” the IFA National Sheep Chair said.

He called for stronger regulations and sanctions to ensure dog owners understand their responsibilities and the consequences of not complying with the law.

The IFA says Increased resources as recommended in the Working Group of Control of Dogs report is vital for owners of dogs found worrying livestock to be sanctioned with significant on-the-spot fines while providing stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens and Gardai, particularly at a time when a dog owner is liable for damages associated to an attack on livestock.

“It’s a critical time of the year as lambing commences and has warned dog owners that dogs are not allowed on or near farmland and to behave in a responsible way and adhere to this,” Mr Gallagher said.

“It is also important to remind dog owners that they are fully liable for any damages caused to farmers and their livestock and dogs found on our lands can be shot,” he concluded.