Moves to take action on the control of dogs, particularly with regards to sheep worrying, is focusing on microchipping and the creation of a central database of ownership details, a Dáil committee has heard.

However, statistics would indicate that the rate of microchipping is low, and it is not known even how many dogs there are in the country.

Although microchipping of dogs is a legal requirement since 2015, and in the last five years an average of 111,000 dogs have been registered annually, 56% of dogs entering council pounds in 2024 were not microchipped.

2024 also saw a 4% increase in the number of livestock worrying incidents reported to local authorities.

The Department of Agriculture is now responsible for all matters of dog control, although local authorities like Cork County Council oversee all matters to do with enforcement including dog fines, and hiring dog wardens.

A central database is planned with dog ownership details that will be accessible to Department inspectors, the guards, and dog wardens.

This will mean identification of stray, injured, or wayward dogs should be easier, if the dog is microchipped.

However, the project involves amalgamating four private company databases and is ‘a huge project’ according to Frances MacAodhain of the Department of Agriculture.

Furthermore, the primary problem is that many dogs are not microchipped in the first place.

The focus needs to be on compliance, she said.

‘We will be trying to gather ideas as to how we might be able to increase compliance in relation to that. We do not know what we do not know is the way things are at the moment.’

During the debate, Ms MacAodhain reassured politicians that a stakeholder group was prioritising the issue of sheep worrying, as Deputy Paul Lawless cited a case in Mayo where a farmer lost half his pedigree flock as a consequence.

The Department’s principal officer of the animal welfare division, Dr Mary McCarthy, acknowledged the  ‘ignorance’ of some people:

‘There seems to be some ignorance among certain members of the public. They do not realise that they cannot bring a dog for a walk in the country and just let it roam.’

Kerry TD Danny Healy Rae called for farmers to be protected particularly as lambing time approaches.

‘It is farmers’ incomes and livelihoods’ he said.

‘It is a very worrying time for farmers. We do not have enough dog wardens. There is not enough observation of the dogs going on. It is not right that we are leaving farmers and landowners exposed like that.’

Ms MacAodhain also pointed out that it was not possible to say how many dogs there are in Ireland, noting that ‘everybody got a dog’ during Covid, and although there are about 800,000 animals added to the database in the last six or seven years, that does not take into account the number that have died. A DNA record for dogs was not ruled out, but would be dependent on whether a scheme like this was cost-effective.

PROSECUTIONS

In 2025 there were 3,803 ‘ordinary’ dog licences issued in West Cork, 2,712 in Bandon/Kinsale, and another 2,672 in Macroom.

An ‘ordinary’ licence covers the dog for 12 months.

There were another 373 ‘lifetime’ licences issued across the three districts in 2025.

Across the county, 209 dogs were taken into the pound by Cork County Council last year, and 66 of these were ultimately put down.

In West Cork there were 13 fines issued in 2025, 112 section 16 notices (which involves a dog warden intervening), but no prosecutions. 

In Bandon/Kinsale, there were nine fines issued and 86 Section 16 notices, with four prosecutions, and in Macroom there were 19 fines, 80 Section 16 notices, and three prosecutions.