In recent months, there have been some appalling attacks on innocent flocks of sheep. The Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Rural and Community Development have set up a working group, but we need more than a working group. We need tangible action against these savage attacks and against the dog owners who do not look after their dogs - although most dog owners do - and leave them run wild and cause marauding attacks on innocent little sheep. It does damage to the whole flock and it causes injuries. It also causes trauma to the families who own those sheep, as well as to the veterinarians and people who go out to treat them. It is very serious. We need this working group to report. This is the height of the lambing season. It is a wonderful, joyous season to have spring lambs being born outdoors, but there are these attacks. There must be more stringent controls on dogs that are not muzzled and are off leashes and that go on to these farms. We must have severe punishments for these animals when they are caught.

I thank the Deputy for the question. It is obviously a really important issue and there have been a number of really distressing incidents over the past two or three months in particular. It is an issue that the Government takes very seriously. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I are in the two Departments that have responsibility for overseeing the issue of dog control.

We established a working group, which has completed its report. We will shortly bring proposals to Cabinet on that and further legislation will be brought forward as well, which will cover enforcement and fines and better bring together oversight of the issue. We want to ensure that people who have dogs take full responsibility for their ownership and that farmers or people going about their normal lives are safe. If somebody does not take their responsibility seriously, there should be strong penalties in place, and that is something the Government will expedite.