Two days after Christmas, a farmer in Lorrha in County Tipperary was alerted that his sheep had been attacked by dogs. Some 80 of his 133-strong flock had been savaged. Councillor Michael O'Meara, who is a neighbour of this farmer, told me of the devastation and heartbreak suffered by the farmer and his family. The attack was caused by dogs whose owners had failed in their responsibility to keep them under control. These dogs were free to roam and maraud. Dog owners need to understand the damage and hurt caused by carelessness as we enter lambing season. Earlier this year, a young woman in Carrick-on-Suir was attacked and permanently scarred. She was terrorised and had to jump into the river to escape four loose pitbulls. The incidence of dog attacks on children across the country is escalating. We must act to enforce stronger laws and we must bring forward robust legislation to enforce responsible dog ownership.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. We have all been shocked by recent dog attacks, particularly the one that left one young boy with life-changing injuries. The Deputy spoke about a horrific story where a young woman had to flee four pitbulls. We need to strengthen our laws. A working group has been convened and formed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Rural and Community Development. That group has been meeting and it will look at the issue with regard to both the enforcement of current legislation and recommendations for new actions. I believe we need to strengthen the law on this. There is a strong onus on the owners of such dogs in respect of the damage caused by attacks on livestock and sheep in particular. It is not acceptable. It is a terrible loss to the farmer concerned and we have to tighten up considerably on this.