An investigation is under way by gardaí after dogs killed 70 sheep on farms in Moneygall, Co Tipperary, and Moyvalley in Co Kildare.
A farmer who lost 50 sheep on his farm in Moneygall on the Offaly-Tipperary border has said it was an "horrific" incident over the weekend.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, John Healy said his family rang him on Saturday and told him there was a problem and, when they checked out the field where the sheep were, "the horror started from there".
Mr Healy said his sons, who had gone to check on the sheep, were crying on the phone saying that there were dead sheep everywhere.
He said the field was "100% sheep-proof" so they could not escape. Although one managed to get out and ran about three-quarters of a mile to the farmhouse, which is what alerted Mr Healy's mother to a problem.
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Mr Healy said one of his sons saw the dogs, which he described as big, heavy-built, well-fed black dogs.
However, the dogs ran away and were not found in a subsequent search of the area.
He said that when he got to the field, he saw something that he never wants to witness again, as there were dead sheep everywhere.
Of the 120 lambs in the field, 50 were killed, he said.
He said that they were not eaten but were just killed by the dogs.
Mr Healy said he does not think the dogs were strays and he appealed for the owner to have the dogs put to sleep as he warned that they will kill again.
"These dogs went home somewhere. And I'm just pleading with whoever owns them just put them down because they will kill again," Mr Healy said.
He added that the sheep that did survive are now being kept indoors and close to the house.
"They're petrified," he said.
"They're terrified. They'll probably never thrive. People say that once sheep get dogged, they'll never thrive. Like I don't know what way it'll turn out."
He said there have been dog attacks in the past, "but nothing to this scale."
He added: "I don't think this scale has been seen anywhere in the country."
He said that people have to be aware of where their dogs are and what they're doing" and "people have to take responsibility for them".
"Them dogs that came to me had one thing in their head and that was killing because it wasn't hunger," Mr Healy said.
"There's no lambs ate. They were all chopped and killed. I said it's devastating and our household, the children, everything. It's a nightmare. It's a nightmare."
Agriculture Minister to meet with IFA
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and the IFA will discuss dog control at a meeting later tonight. Other items are also on the agenda but the killing of so many sheep has once more focused attention on this issue of dog control.
The Minister is already leading a review of dog legislation and enforcement after an attack on a child by a pit bull terrier in Wexford last month.
IFA sheep chairman Kevin Comiskey has said all dogs should be microchipped and their owners held responsible for any damage they cause to farm animals.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Mr Comiskey said he visited the Healy farm in Moneygall.
"To go there and look at 50 dead sheep was horrendous. The dogs were out to kill and if [those] dogs aren’t apprehended shortly they’ll kill again," he said.
Mr Comiskey said that he would like to see the Government triple the current €200 fine to €600, and all dogs to be microchipped and added to a national database, so if they are caught on a farm their owner can be prosecuted.
Goats attacked in Dublin
Meanwhile, Fingal County Council has said that a flock of goats on the Hill of Howth were attacked by a dog over the weekend.
The local authority has appealed for people to keep their dogs on a lead in the Turvey Nature Reserve and Redrock and Shielmartin areas of Howth.
