The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food will meet tomorrow (Wednesday, July 2) to discuss dog control and sheep worrying with stakeholders.

The committee, made up of 14 members, will meet at 3:30p.m to hear from representatives of:

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers' Association;
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association;
The Irish Farmers' Association;
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association;
The National Association of Regional Games Councils.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Oireachtas committee chair, Fianna Fáil Cork North-West TD, Aindrias Moynihan, said that this issue is "very prevalent".

"Dog owners are reminded that, particularly during lambing season, huge stress and trauma can be caused to sheep by dogs not kept under control," Deputy Moynihan said.

"Our committee will take this opportunity to remind dog owners that they can be held liable for damages and face prosecution in the courts if their pet attacks animals on another person’s land."

This comes as the proposed new Control of Dogs (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 for enhanced measures is currently at an “advanced stage in the relevant legislative process”, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

A separate committee session focused on scrutiny of EU regulations regarding the food supply chain will also take place at 5:00p.m tomorrow.

Representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will be present for this.

Deputy Moynihan said that the committee will engage with the officials to gain an "in-depth understanding" of the implications for Ireland, in particular the agriculture sector, of two proposals.

These are:

COM(2024)576 - proposal for a regulation on cooperation among enforcement authorities in relation to unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain;
COM(2024)577 - proposal for a regulation as regards the strengthening of the position of farmers in the food supply chain.