ON-THE-SPOT fines for failing to keep your dog under control will be doubled to €300 on the back of a series of “worrying dog attacks”.

The new measure is one which Minister for Rural and Community Development will sign off on today as part of a range of reforms to the Control of Dogs Act 1986.

Minister Heather Humphreys has also announced a new €2 million fund for dog shelters nationwide, as a result of a declining workforce in the sector.

Under the new measures, dog wardens will also be able to issue multiple fines at once if they encounter an owner who potentially breaches a number of regulations in the Control of Dogs Act 1986.

This could see a potential dog owner receive three separate fines in cases where a restricted dog breed is without a muzzle, collar or if the owner is not in possession of a dog licence.

• Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to investigate the lasting impact of dog attacks on victims. Support this project here.

Humphreys’ department said these measures have come off the back of a number of “worrying incidents” involving dog attacks.

The most recent of which saw two women hospitalised with severe injuries after the pair were attacked by a XL American Bully dog, in Co Waterford last month.

Emergency services who attended the scene included gardaí, an ambulance from University Hospital Waterford and a Waterford City and County Council dog warden.

The dog was subsequently seized by the WCC warden.

In September, a man suffered serious facial injuries as a result of a dog attack in the Crumlin area of Dublin. This resulted in the dog being put down.

Last month, The Journal reported that people across Ireland had raised a litany of complaints with councils about dogs running off-lead and reports that members of the public were met with aggression when asking dog owners to control their dogs.

Humphreys will shortly appoint the chairperson of a new stakeholder group that will be examine wider issues around dog ownership as well as tasking them to look at expanding the list of restricted breeds in Ireland.

Currently there are 10 restricted breeds in Ireland and it is also prohibited, under the Control of Dogs Act, to own any mix of these dogs.

Last month, the British Government announced last month that a blanket ban on the ownership of XL Bully dogs would come into effect on 31 December, after a number of attacks carried out by that breed of dog.

This decision has faced criticism in regards to how the State would police such a ban.

• You can listen to The Journal’s The Explainer episode on what is the American bully XL and do bans on certain dog breeds work here.

Humphreys also announced that she has secured €2 million worth of funding for Irish dog shelters, to help tackle with a dwindling workforce in the industry.

“Right across the country, dog shelter staff have reported coming under significant pressure in terms of dealing with stray dogs,” the Department said in a statement.

The Minister also secured funding in Budget 2024 for a significant communications campaign to promote the issue of dog ownership to be rolled out in the New Year.