Senator calls for department intervention to stop attacks on sheep
A senator has called for intervention from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to stop "the growing number" of dog attacks on sheep flocks across the country.
Fianna Fáil senator Paul Daly made the call after hosting a presentation in Leinster House recently with father and daughter farmers Eamonn and Niamh Monahan.
They shared findings from a survey they carried out on sheep attacks.
The Monahans farm in Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan, and have seen four dog attacks in the the last five years.
In one attack last year they lost four pedigree in-lamb ewes, a pedigree ram and nine unborn lambs.
The Monahans launched the survey to highlight the scale of the problem and elevate the voices of farmers affected across the country.
According to the Monahans, nearly three-quarters of sheep farmers have experienced attacks on their flocks, with an average of 18 sheep killed per incident.
Their survey also said that over three-quarters of the impacted farmers received no compensation for their losses.
Responding to the survey, Senator Daly said: "The little poodle that everybody thinks is harmless can create as much havoc in field of sheep as a pitbull.
"Dog owners do not realise the consequences of not having their dog on a leash, or the heartache and pain this causes for hardworking farmers," he added.
"The Department of Agriculture needs to intervene with a number of measures, while ensuring there is proper enforcement of those already in place.
"It's not fair and it is not right that farmers can witness multiple attacks on their flocks and receive not compensation. Those responsible must be held to account," Senator Daly said.
The Monahans were speaking on a Fianna Fáil party podcast on their survey, in which Niamh Monahan described a dog attack.
"[The sheep] were shredded, It was horrendous. We had to deal with the trauma of what we were seeing before us, calling the vets, neighbours coming over," she said on the 'Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words' podcast.
Eamonn Monahan told the podcast: "It is very important that all dog owners are aware these attacks are happening. They are horrific. They have serious financial effects on farmers and very real mental health impacts too."
The Monahans have called for the establishment of a national DNA database for all dogs; improved education in schools and among dog owners; stricter fines for owners of dogs involved in attacks; and greater support for farmers affected by dog attacks.
