A member of the working group examining dog control measures has said Ireland should consider following other countries in banning the XL bully breed.
The call for a ban the dog breed comes after a woman died in a dog attack in Co Limerick yesterday.
The animal involved in the incident is understood to be an XL bully dog, although it has not yet been confirmed.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Six One James Madden, who is also a vet, advocated for a ban similar the one currently in force in the UK.
“I think we should consider introducing a ban on the XL bully as has been introduced in the UK. Currently in Northern Ireland there’s a ban coming on the XL bully. I think we should follow the same route,” Mr Madden said.
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Currently no dog breed is banned in Ireland – unlike in Britain – where it is a criminal offence to own an XL bully unless the owner has a valid exemption certificate.
However, there are a number of breeds in Ireland, XL bullies among them, that are restricted.
The breeds include American, English and Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bulldogs, Bull Mastiffs, Doberman dogs, German Shepherds, Japanese Akita and Tosa, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Rottweilers.
Mr Madden outlined that the number of XL bullies in Ireland appears to be increasing and that they have been involved in a number of “aggressive incidents and attacks”.
“These dogs are very powerful, they’re very strong, they’ve got a very strong bite force, and they inflict serious injury or death on people when they attack people or other animals,” he said.
Currently, every dog owner is required to purchase a dog licence for their dog, but it is unclear how many restricted breeds and XL bullies are in Ireland.
“We need a register of restricted breeds to understand how many dogs there are of various breeds, particularly the restricted breeds,” Mr Madden said.
The register, he added, was important in order “to understand where they are, where they’re kept, what sort of accommodation and whether it’s safe or they can escape and cause damage”.
Under legislation, while in public, those breeds must be muzzled, kept on short strong leash by someone over the age of 16 who can control the dog, and collared with the name and address of the owner.
However, those rules only apply to restricted dogs while they are in public places and not in homes or other private spaces.
Mr Madden advised that restricted dog breeds should be kept in a cage or kennel so they cannot attack vulnerable people.
Experienced dog trainer Anne Rogers said dog owners across the board need necessary education about the animals.
“We need to look at the way people understand how to keep their dogs … Dogs are not benign creatures, and we need to have an awareness of what normal, natural, necessary behaviour is and put provision in place for that.”
Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould also called for more resources to address the issue.
“What we’re looking for is more funding for animal welfare groups to provide training – specific dog training – and we’re also calling for more dog wardens to ensure that this happens,” he said.
Minister for Social Protection and Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys said she was very conscious of public concern over dog control and pointed to a stakeholder group she set up three months ago to examine the current rules.
“I’ve asked them to look at whether we should follow the example in Northern Ireland in the UK and what I can clearly say is if they recommend to me that we should ban a particular breed, I’m happy to do that,” Ms Humphreys said.
Any recommendations that are made by that stakeholder group will now be closely scrutinised.
Additional reporting: Conor Hunt
