A 23-year-old woman has died in a dog attack at a house in south west Ireland.
Emergency services found the victim inside the gated entrance to the property in the village of Ballyneety, in County Limerick, on Tuesday night at around 11.40pm.
The woman was treated, but was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The dog involved in the attack was put down, while several others were seized.
It’s been reported that the dogs were from a restricted breed in Ireland, which means they must be kept on a short lead, with someone aged over 16 and placed on a muzzle when in public.
The restricted breeds include American, English and Staffordshire bull terriers, Rottweilers and Alsations.
In a statement issued on Monday morning, Ireland’s minister for social protection, Heather Humphreys, said greater action was needed on dog control, adding that current legislation was to be reviewed.
She has previously said she would be open to the idea of banning 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 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.
Issuing an alert on the attack on 29 May, Sergeant Ber Leetch said: “Nobody wants this to happen so be responsible for your dog. Protect your dog but also protect any people it may come in contact with.”
“You must know your dog and know if they are on the restricted dog breeds list, so look at the Dogs.ie website if you are not sure.”
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.
