A garda dog handler is suing the State for alleged hearing loss because of exposure to loud barking by dogs under his control.
Garda Thomas Donnelly has told the High Court that the dogs barked most of the time during routine daily patrols in garda transit vans around the city.
Garda Donnelly said up to four dogs could be in the van with him at any one time and would either continuously bark at each other or at anybody near the van.
He now wears hearing aids in both ears and since 2002 wears ear protectors at all times while on duty.
Garda Donnelly said that the excessive barking by the dogs was inside the garda vans and not when working outside.
He said the dogs would bark at each other and at people walking in front of and at the back of the van when stopped at traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.
Garda Donnelly was assessed in 2001 on the instructions of the garda medical officer.
The court was also told that a consultant, Dr McShane, said that the inner ear damage was caused by chronic noise exposure and was irreversible.
Consultant Dr Blaney told the court that a number of factors including noise had contributed to Garda Donnelly's substantial hearing loss.
He said his assessment indicated that the hearing loss was greater than normal in a 50-year-old but could not say whether noise was a big or small part of it.
