Danny Healy-Rae backs microchipping, urges shoot-on-sight power
Danny Healy-Rae addressed farming organisations on dog attacks on sheep, supporting microchipping and DNA sampling while questioning practicalities. He argued farmers should be able to shoot dogs on their property, urged use of cameras during lambing and said the Committee of Agriculture is listening.
He welcomed each organisation and their members, described the issue as highly emotive and said the committee has been out in the fields seeing the damage to lambs and sheep. He stressed the committee, under its chairman, has promised to do its best and that farmers had been heard.
He said he supports microchipping but expressed concern about the logistics of DNA sampling if access to property is restricted. A colleague, Chandra, explained DNA can be taken by swab, a sample of blood or a small skin nick and entered into a database to match saliva, tears or wounds on attacked animals. She warned DNA is helpful but "not the silver bullet" and said about "50% of dog attacks are not actually killed" while actual kills form a smaller part of the problem. The cost of the dog licence was also raised as a concern.
He said his understanding was that a farmer or someone on his behalf can shoot a dog at sight inside his property and argued that right should be maintained as a deterrent. He urged farmers to use cameras while lambing despite costs, warned that "when they taste blood at all, they're never satisfied till they go back for more," and noted fundraising support "through Picos and different ways."
He listed local areas where attacks have occurred, including Kilgarvin, Kinmeyer and Schneem, and said members offered different ideas. He reiterated the committee's intent to listen and act, emphasising practical protections for farmers and livestock.
Opening and welcome
He welcomed each organisation and their members, described the issue as highly emotive and said the committee has been out in the fields seeing the damage to lambs and sheep. He stressed the committee, under its chairman, has promised to do its best and that farmers had been heard.
Microchipping and DNA sampling
He said he supports microchipping but expressed concern about the logistics of DNA sampling if access to property is restricted. A colleague, Chandra, explained DNA can be taken by swab, a sample of blood or a small skin nick and entered into a database to match saliva, tears or wounds on attacked animals. She warned DNA is helpful but "not the silver bullet" and said about "50% of dog attacks are not actually killed" while actual kills form a smaller part of the problem. The cost of the dog licence was also raised as a concern.
Enforcement and on-farm measures
He said his understanding was that a farmer or someone on his behalf can shoot a dog at sight inside his property and argued that right should be maintained as a deterrent. He urged farmers to use cameras while lambing despite costs, warned that "when they taste blood at all, they're never satisfied till they go back for more," and noted fundraising support "through Picos and different ways."
Local impact and committee response
He listed local areas where attacks have occurred, including Kilgarvin, Kinmeyer and Schneem, and said members offered different ideas. He reiterated the committee's intent to listen and act, emphasising practical protections for farmers and livestock.
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Transcript
Hi, look, I suppose I'm glad to get, very glad to get the opportunity to talk on this highly emotive issue and I suppose I want to welcome each and every one of the different organisations here and the members, you're very welcome here. And we as a unit, Committee of Agriculture, under our very able chairman address, we promised to do our best for us, and I was kind of upset there one morning, people talking that there was no one here in Ireland listening to them and that they were going to Europe, by all means go to Europe, but we are listening to you and have been. We've been out in the fields where the damage was done. We know what's involved and what happens and when little lambs and sheep are torn and mangled, we know all that. And I suppose we do support the most of what you're saying, the microchipping, that should be. I'm worried how would the DNA sampling, how would you, what, manage that because like you said, you can't get into the house, you can't get, you know, so I don't think, you know, if you want to say something about that, Chandra. Yeah, look, the biggest, the biggest problem we see with the microchipping and the dog licence, when the farmer gets to the field, Danny, there's no trace of the dog. That's the biggest problem I hear from every farmer in the country. Now with the DNA sampling, it's a very easy system. It's either a swab or a sample of blood or just a little nick of some skin. And what we do with that then is if it's a viable sample, put it back into the database. Now, when you have a kill then that happens after that and the farmer gets to the field, the dog is gone, he can test the saliva and the test and the tears and cuts on the dead animal or the torn animal. And then you can go back to the database and find your owner. All right. I must save my time because... Sorry, Danny. Just, just, just, just about 50% of dog attacks are not actually killed. They're, they're running the sheep. Yeah. That's, that's nearly, it's what killed is, is only about 10% of the problem. It's what pregnant Joe's especially been run. So the DNA does some work on that. You know, it's a help. It's all, everything is a help, but just DNA is not the silver bullet. All right. All right. Well, I suppose my understanding is that either the farmer himself or someone on his behalf can shoot a dog at sight, inside his property. Is that right? Yeah. Well, because that is very important. And this is the only way I believe that you can teach these fellows a lesson and have cameras up as well. I know it costs money for farmers to do this, but while he's lambing sheep, he should, he should certainly have, have cameras up. And as far as, as Dan Buckley Muldoon said one time, shoot a sight. And, and I mean, because these dogs, we know this, when they taste blood at all, they're never satisfied till they go back for more. It's not about, uh, it's not about, uh, having, uh, chasing the, the sheep to the taste of blood. And we know that. And, um, um, we raise what we can through Picos and different ways for you. And, uh, we appreciate your, uh, your, um, your, uh, horror at what's happening. And it's happening all around me, Kilgarvin, Kinmeyer, Schneem, any place that would talk to me in flesh, uh, it has happened. And it's a very serious issue. And we're very concerned about it. And like that, we're glad that he came up here. And I know that, uh, all the members have different ideas, but I believe that, that, uh, the walkways and all these things now that are coming on stream, there's going to be more, uh, the sheep are going to be more exposed. So farmers need to assure themselves that they can shoot dogs inside in their place. And that, that should be maintained. Thank you. But I think that's a good idea for Fedor of Ogun to do with the five. And I think that's a good idea for you. So, I'm not going to say this. There's a good idea for you to be a leader. And it's a good idea for you to be a leader in the country. ...and a new job... ...and a new job. The license... ...is quite a lot of money. But I didn't know... ...the job license... ...and microchipping... ...and DNA sampling. I had to go to February... ...and a new job... ...and a new job. I was doing a new job... ...and I was doing a new job... ...yes... ...and I was kind of out of... ...and I was able to get a new job. I was... ...I'm not able to... ...I had a new job that... ...I liked the movie... ...and I got the new job... ...and I got the new job... ...and I had to work with. So, I want to be very cool... ...and I got the new job a new job... Thank you. Can you hear from Paul Daley? or Paul Daly.