Cork councillor says XL Bully dog ban requires enforcement

A Cork councillor has welcomed news that the Government is to ban the XL Bully breed but has said that the city council must get serious about enforcing dog control measures.

From October 1, new regulations introduced by Heather Humphreys, the rural and community development minister, will prohibit the importing, breeding, selling and re-homing of XL Bully dogs.

From February 1, 2025, it will be illegal to own an XL Bully dog without a certificate of exemption.

Attacks

The ban comes after a number of recent attacks by XL Bullies, which included the death of a young woman, Nicole Morey, in Limerick.

Although welcoming the announcement, Sinn Féin councillor for Cork City South West, Joe Lynch, warned that the ban would prove meaningless unless there was proper enforcement of dog control legislation and Cork City’s by-laws.

“I raised the issue of dog control at this week’s meeting of Cork City Council and put a question to the council’s chief executive concerning the effectiveness of the dog warden service in Cork City,” Mr Lynch said.

“Dog control, or the lack of dog control, is a serious issue that is raised with me regularly.

“Despite the city’s by-laws stipulating that no restricted breed, muzzled or not, are permitted in the city’s parks, there is next to no enforcement of this.”

Fines

Mr Lynch added that in 2022, the most recent year for which full figures are available, there had only been €600 collected in fines relating to dog control issues in Cork City.

“The vast majority of dog owners are responsible and abide by the laws that exist to keep people safe, however we must get serious about cracking down on those that are not,” Mr Lynch said. “We have seen from recent incidents around the country that dog attacks can be both dangerous and fatal. In this context, the ban on the XL Bully breed is welcome, but enforcement will be crucial.”