Senator welcomes dog awareness plan

Fianna Fáil Senator Erin McGreehan has said a major new national awareness campaign to remind dog owners of their responsibilities provides an opportunity to move forward in the area of dog control.

Senator McGreehan said: “The aims of this new national awareness campaign, to remind dog owners of their responsibilities and increase awareness of the harm that out-of-control dogs can do to people and livestock, are to be welcomed.

“It is important that we move forward on dog control, and this national awareness campaign offers an opportunity for us to do so further.

“Recently, I introduced the Control of Dogs (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 that would strengthen legislation in respect dog control. 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 so as 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.

“I have consistently raised the matter of dog kills and dog walkers in recreational areas, especially in the Cooley Mountains. Every week I hear from farmers in the Cooley Mountains of either dog kills or verbal assaults on farmers, who are told, ‘ We are allowed to have our dogs here and should be allowed to let them roam.’

“When people go onto farmland or mountainous commonage, shareholders’ or owners’ land, with their dogs unleashed and uncontrolled, they are potentially killers.

“This national awareness campaign is, no doubt, important. However, it is my strong belief that we need more than awareness campaigns.”