Speech by Minister Heather Humphreys addressing the Control of Dogs, delivered in Seanad Éireann on 11 June 2024

Check against delivery

Go raibh maith agat Cathaoirleach.

At the outset I want to thank Senators Erin McGrehan, Robbie Gallagher, Eugene Murphy, Micheál Carrigy, Malcolm Byrne and Diarmuid Wilson for bringing forward this Private Members’ Bill.

I am pleased to inform the House that the government is not opposing the Bill.

While I realise this bill does not relate directly to the situation with regard to restricted breeds, in light of the recent tragic incident in Limerick, at the outset I want to extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Nicole Morey.

My thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time.

My thoughts are also with those who were injured and hospitalised in Cork last week following a further horrific dog attack.

Last year, following the attack on Alejandro Mizsan, a young boy in Wexford, Government decided to take a number of actions in relation to dog control.

In terms of what I have done in my department in recent months:

• I’ve increased the fines where dogs are not kept under proper control
• I’ve given €2 million to Local Authorities so that dog wardens have what they need in terms of vans and equipment
• there’s been a major publicity campaign on responsible dog ownership with adverts on national media and local media in recent months
• I’ve established a Working Group pulling together all the key players including vets, local authorities, farming representatives and animal welfare experts to look at what further actions we can take around strengthening policy and legislation on dog control

In view of just how seriously I am treating this issue, I asked former Deputy Garda Commissioner, John Twomey, to chair that Group.

I think having a former Deputy Garda Commissioner in charge of that group sends a very clear message about how serious I am about strengthening our enforcement on dog controls.

One of the key issues that I have asked the Stakeholder Group to prioritise is the area of restricted breeds.

Currently no dogs are banned in Ireland, instead we have a list of 11 ‘restricted’ dogs, which also includes any crosses of these breeds, which are subject to strict controls.

This means when in public, these dogs must be muzzled and they must be kept on a short, strong leash.

Cathaoirleach, I want to talk specifically about the XL Bully.

The XL Bully is a cross-breed of the American Bully and is already covered by the restricted breeds list.

I believe we need to go further.

The UK have taken steps which mean since February it has been a criminal offence to own an XL bully.

Northern Ireland are now looking at introducing similar restrictions.

As somebody from the border region, I don’t think we should be out of step with Northern Ireland on this.

I am consulting with the Attorney General on how a ban on the XL Bully would work in Ireland and what legislative changes may be required to give effect to this – that work is underway.

I know some people will not like hearing this today.

They will tell me that they own an XL Bully and it would never hurt anybody.

I can’t ignore the facts.

The XL Bully was the dog involved in the attack on Alejandro Mizsan in Wexford and it was also the dog involved in the attack in Limerick last week which killed Nicole Morey.

We all love our dogs but no dog’s life is worth more than human life.

It’s true that any dog can bite you.

But consider the damage an attack by XL Bully can do compared to a Jack Russell.

The history of these dogs is that they were bred to be aggressive, it’s in their nature.

I have asked the Stakeholder Group to prioritise work on restricted breeds and I will be meeting with them later this month to hear their views.

We are also looking at other countries like Denmark and France who have implemented similar bans to see what we can learn from their experience and how it is working on the ground.

The ban of the XL Bully in the UK has been the subject of a judicial review so it’s important we get this right.

Finally, I want to thank the Senators for bringing forward this Bill today and giving me the opportunity to discuss these important issues.

I will be asking the Stakeholder Group to examine the Bill and consider its proposals as part of the broader package of measures that we will bring forward to strengthen our dog control legislation in Ireland.

Go raibh maith agat.