Louth TD Erin McGreehan has urged the new Minister for Agriculture to act on dog control urgently, highlighting the recent spike in dog attacks and emphasising the importance of vigilance among dog owners to ensure their pets are kept under control and secure. It’s crucial to stress that no dog owner wants their pet to be responsible for the loss of sheep or their unborn lambs.
Deputy McGreehan said there have been many incidences of dog attacks recently in Louth and that her Control of Dogs (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 would help to tackle them.
She said: “I welcome the commitment in the recent Programme for Government to address the currently disjointed approach to dog control issues by ensuring all legislation and policy in relation to the control of dogs, dog welfare, and dog breeding establishments rests with the Department of Agriculture and to increase the number of Dog Wardens across the country.
“I am urging the Minister for Agriculture to act urgently on this issue.
“I will be reintroducing my Control of Dogs (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 that I previously introduced as a Senator. The Bill would provide for dog control notices, for notices relating to the exclusion of dogs from certain premises, amend the Control of Dogs (Dog Licensing Database) Regulations 2019 to provide for the mandatory maintenance of a dog licensing database, and amend the Local Government Act 2001 to provide for public places where dogs can be off-leash.
“Moving it forward would represent a significant achievement in the ongoing overhaul of dog control and welfare.”
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