The Dáil has heard calls for an amnesty and extension ahead of the planned ban of XL Bully dogs.
From 1 October, it will be illegal to breed, sell, rehome or import the animals.
A second phase of regulations will be introduced from 1 February 2025. This will see a ban on owning an XL Bully dog, unless the owner has a Certificate of Exemption.
Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews said the ban was causing panic and mayhem and was an extreme measure that could see thousands of dogs killed.
He called for an amnesty and time extension and investment in education and training of owners.
The Green Party's Neasa Hourigan called for a delay in the timeline saying that there were too many outstanding questions on how the ban would work.
She said that no local authorities had received the full regulations and she had genuine concern for council workers as there was no meaningful involvement of gardaí in the process.
Minister of State Thomas Byrne told the Dáil that the ban was being introduced due to public safety and human safety after a number of recent incidents.
He said that if no action was taken, it was feared that dog numbers would grow and that attacks would become more frequent.
He also indicated that the ban would come into force as planned.
