A 23-year-old woman has died in a dog attack at a house in south west Ireland, triggering concerns from a minister that current legislation is not strong enough.
The victim was discovered inside a gated entrance to a property in the village of Ballyneety, in County Limerick, on Tuesday night at around 11.40pm.
Despite treatment at the scene, she was pronounced dead and her body was taken to hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Garda said the dog involved in the attack was put down, while several others at the address were seized.
The dogs were reportedly all on a list of restricted breeds in Ireland, which under current law means they must be kept on a short lead, overseen by someone aged over 16 and placed on a muzzle when out in public.
The restricted breeds include American, English and Staffordshire bull terriers, Rottweilers and Alsations.
The attack, however, has further raised concerns that dog control regulations are not strong enough with Ireland’s minister for social protection, Heather Humphreys, issuing a statement.
Although the country has no ban on breeds, she has previously said she would be open to the idea of prohibiting the ownership of specific breeds, as seen in England and Wales under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
“I am absolutely appalled by the news that a woman has died following a dog attack in Limerick. I want to begin by expressing my deepest sympathies to her family in what is a deeply shocking incident,” Mr Humphreys said.
She added: “I have consistently said that more action is required in relation to dog control. That’s why I have set up a cross-governmental stakeholder group, chaired by the retired Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey, to examine this whole area.
“That group’s work is under way.
“I have asked the group to examine the restricted breeds list, in line with actions being taken in the UK and Northern Ireland. I am committed to working with colleagues across government in taking whatever action is necessary to strengthen our dog control laws.”
The incident comes a week after a nine-year-old boy was left with facial injuries in a dog attack in Limerick city, located around six miles from Ballyneety.
Although there is currently no ban on breeds in Ireland, owners of dogs over four months old must also hold a dog licence, and have their pet microchipped by a vet.
Failure to have a dog licence and can result in an on-the-spot €150 fine.