The Government needs to take meaningful action to stop dog attacks on livestock, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said.

IFA national sheep chair Adrian Gallagher has called on the Government to do more and said farmers face an uphill battle as dog attacks on livestock escalate, with incidents in Monaghan and Louth in recent days.

This is compounded by the inability of dog wardens and shelters to accommodate the increasing number of stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs across the country, the organisation said.

Gallagher said the ministers with responsibility in this area should ensure there are adequate facilities in place for these dogs and dogs belonging to owners who refuse to accept their responsibilities.

Sanctions

The sheep chair said the level of sanctions that are being applied do not reflect the savagery and trauma these uncontrolled dogs are causing.

“The absence of a centralised database to identify ownership and those responsible for the dogs and the lack of enforcement of licensing and microchipping are all contributing to this persistent and escalating problem,” he said

Gallagher added that local authorities must prioritise the enforcement of existing regulations to curb these attacks and provide the facilities to take these dogs into care.