Specific Details
No Dogs Allowed Campaign 2025
Intended results
To highlight that the devastation caused by dog attacks has to be brought home to those who think their dog would not be part of an attack on livestock. Dog owners cannot absolve themselves of the wreckage left behind when sheep are attacked. The majority of responsible dog owners have a role here also.
To stress that the lack of robust enforcement of the legal obligations on dog owners has allowed horrendous attacks to persist and increase across the country which is unacceptable.
To demand stronger regulations and stricter enforcement for those who disregard the safety and wellbeing of livestock.
To emphasise that 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.
That implementing stronger legislation and sanctions reflective of the damage and trauma these dogs cause on farms has been key to the IFA campaign and would be a significant step in delivering for farmers.
That increased resources as recommended in the Working Group of Control of Dogs report is vital in order 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 with an attack on livestock.
The following measures are required to tackle the issue
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 for all dogs.
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.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, Adrian Gallagher IFA Sheep Chair, Tom Byrne IFA Wicklow County Chair, Paul O'Brien IFA South Leinster Regional Chair, Jackie Whelan Fagan IFA Regional Executive, John Kelly IFA Wexford Vice Chair, Pat Murray IFA Wexford Animal Health Chair, Jason Fleming IFA Kerry Chair
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
MEP (European Parliament)
Barry Andrews
MEP (European Parliament)
Barry Cowen
MEP (European Parliament)
Billy Kelleher
MEP (European Parliament)
Brian Brennan
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Ciaran Mullooly
MEP (European Parliament)
Cynthia Ní Mhurchú
MEP (European Parliament)
Donal Kenny
Councillor (Wexford County Council)
Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Kathleen Funchion
MEP (European Parliament)
Luke Ming Flanagan
MEP (European Parliament)
Lynn Boylan
MEP (European Parliament)
Maria Walsh
MEP (European Parliament)
Michael McNamara
MEP (European Parliament)
Nina Carberry
MEP (European Parliament)
Regina Doherty
MEP (European Parliament)
Sean Kelly
MEP (European Parliament)
James Nolan
Director of Services or Equivalent (Kerry County Council)