IFA & Comhairle na Tuaithe Join Forces to Launch No Dogs Allowed Campaign for 2026

Launching the 2026 ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign with Comhairle na Tuaithe in the Cooley peninsula in Co Louth, IFA President Francie Gorman said the scourge of dog attacks has to be confronted by imposing the full rigours of the law.

“The reality is that dog owners who behave irresponsibly don’t believe there will be consequences for their actions. Until the authorities devote the resources needed to crack down on this behaviour, the devastation caused by dog attacks will continue,” he said.

Comhairle na Tuaithe have joined forces with IFA for the first time to reinforce the responsibility that comes with being a dog owner.

The Chair of Comhairle na Tuaithe Éamon Ó’Cúiv said “We all recognise the benefits of spending time outdoors and here in Ireland we are fortunate to have so many wonderful opportunities. We all need to be mindful that many of our trails and walking routes are on private lands and without the goodwill of farmers we would not have access to many areas of the countryside”.

The members of Comhairle na Tuaithe recognise the benefits associated with dog ownership and support the provision of dog-friendly amenities. However, they agree that there are outdoor places which are not suitable to bring a dog for exercise, including upland areas of farmland. It is vital that we all act responsibly, and support and respect the landowners who have allowed access to their lands.

IFA first launched the ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign in 2021 and despite continuous appeals for action, neither the Government nor local authorities has done enough to address the issue.

IFA Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said IFA has consistently called for appropriate sanctions and to develop a single national database identifying dogs and their owners, similar to other jurisdictions.

“The critical issue in the first instance is to have all dogs in the country microchipped, registered to the owner and licensed in order to establish a national database for all dogs and the person responsible for the dog,” he said.

“It’s a critical time of the year as lambing is taking place.  Dogs are not allowed on or near farmland and we are asking dog owners to behave in a responsible way and adhere to this.”

“The lack of robust enforcement of the legal obligations on dog owners has allowed horrendous attacks to persist and increase across the country. It is unacceptable,” Adrian Gallagher said.

“We are demanding stronger regulations and stricter enforcement for those who disregard the safety and wellbeing of our livestock,” he said.

“It is also important to remind dog owners that they are fully liable for any damages caused to farmers and their livestock and dogs found on our lands can be shot,” he said.

Note to Editor:

The following are the measures needed to tackle the issue:

1. A single National Database for all dogs correlating licensing and microchipping and identifying the person responsible for the dog, but at a minimum alignment of the existing licensing and microchipping records to one central access point.

2. Full enforcement of microchipping and licensing obligations of dog owners for all dogs.

3. Stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens and Gardaí and clarity on these powers.

4. Increased on the spot fines for failing to comply with the microchipping and licensing requirements.

5. Increased sanctions and on the spot fines for failing to have the dog under control.

6. Significant on the spot fines for dogs found worrying livestock.

7. Legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped and licensed and identified on the NVPS (National Veterinary Prescribing System) prior to any veterinary treatment or prescribing of medicines by veterinary practitioners.

8. Authority to apply the legislative obligations to dogs in border regions owned by persons not resident in the State.

Comhairle na Tuaithe was established in February 2004 as a non-statutory body.

Comhairle na Tuaithe is made up of representatives from farming organisations, recreational users of the countryside, and state bodies with a responsibility or interest in the countryside. The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht acts as Secretariat to Comhairle na Tuaithe.

Since the inception of Comhairle na Tuaithe, there has been significant growth in the numbers engaging in outdoor recreation. In June 2019 a new mandate was given to Comhairle na Tuaithe by the Minister for Rural and Community Development which will reinforce and strengthen its advisory role in relation to the sustainable development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland. Comhairle na Tuaithe developed the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy to provide a vision and framework for the growth of the sector. Comhairle will also identify opportunities to develop rural enterprises based on outdoor recreation activity.

Access to the countryside, which is an ongoing issue for private landowners, state landholders, recreational users and tourists alike has been progressed through the efforts of Comhairle na Tuaithe and the introduction of the The Walks Scheme in 2008.

For more information on Comhairle na Tuaithe, read more here