Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue brought a memo to Cabinet today recommending recruitment of an additional 40 new dog wardens and a doubling of fines under the Control of Dogs Act.
The recommendations stem from the ongoing review of dog legislation, initiated after a young boy was mauled by a pit bull in Co Wexford.
Last November, Alejandro Miszan suffered severe facial injuries when he was attacked by an unmuzzled and unaccompanied pitbull terrier in Enniscorthy.
As a result of that incident and because of dog attacks on sheep, a review of dogs law and enforcement was initiated and a working group set up.
In the memo to Cabinet this morning, Minister McConalogue recommended the recruitment of an additional 40 dog wardens, bringing the total at least 90.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme, he said that it was "a two-pronged approach.
"It's about ensuring that our laws are strengthened but also ensuring that the enforcement capacity is there."
The minister said that the dog warden structure at present is conducted by local authorities. He said there are different models across the country for doing that but "we want to give them the additional capacity to enforce the laws that are there".
He also said there is a strong role for gardaí and for the public in relation to the enforcement of existing laws.
Minister McConalogue advised members of the public who see people breaking those laws, to report the matter to gardaí.
He said the expected cost for an additional 40 dog wardens will be around €5 million.
There will also be a doubling of fines under the Control of Dogs Act from €2,500 to €5,000 and the creation of two centralised databases for registering dog microchips and dog breeding establishments.
The measures flow from 15 recommendations made in an interim report from the interdepartmental working group, which is continuing its examination of all issues pertaining to the control of dogs.
Stronger regulations will go some way to address the growing problem of dog attacks on livestock, the Irish Farmers' Association Sheep Chairman said.
Kevin Comiskey added that enforcement will be key to the success of the proposed regulations.
"Far too many farmers, particularly sheep farmers, are in fear of a dog attack and the devastation it can leave. I would hope the resources are made available to bring about changes," he said.
"The irresponsible behaviour of some dog owners continues to lead to devastating consequences on farms and must stop."
Mr Comiskey said dogs should not be allowed in or near farmland and he urged all dog owners to behave in a responsible way and adhere to this.
Meanwhile, a Veterinary Officer with Leitrim County Council welcomed the news that new dog wardens could be recruited.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, James Madden said 40 extra wardens represents a substantial increase and is important that the wardens are recruited and trained as soon as possible.
There may be only one dog warden in each county currently and they are very stretched in their roles, he said.
Mr Madden added that there needs to be stronger enforcement of rules and fines and any dog licence database should be linked to a microchip database.
