A MAP OF dog attack incidents on sheep that has been developed by Kerry County Council in the past 12 months cannot be published or circulated due to data protection concerns.

It comes as a number of sheep were killed, and others missing or seriously injured, after dog attacks on in Kerry over the Christmas period.

The colour-coded map was produced at the behest of Kerry County Councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald after over 100 sheep were killed by dogs in Kerry in 2023.

The Fianna Fáil councillor wanted the map to be available to the public and gardaí to assist in investigations.

In some of the most recent attacks, five sheep were killed by dogs in a night-time attack Knocknagoshel in mid-December and several were severely injured, with others missing.

On St Stephen’s Day around lunchtime in the south of the county, a dog left the beach area to kill one sheep and give chase to others. The incident occurred at Templenoe, which is a popular dog walking area.

Fionnán Fitzgerald said it is “nonsense” that the map to assist garda and council investigations cannot be published.

“The concept of a map highlighting areas where such attacks on sheep occur would highlight for the public the prevalence of the problem; it would prick the conscience of dog owners in the surrounding areas as to the proper and safe housing of their dogs especially at night time,” he said.

He added: “The attacks cause great damage to livelihood, innocent animals endure great pain and suffering plus there is the huge upset – financial and emotional – to sheep farmers in rural Ireland.

“It would also greatly help authorities, such as the local council and the gardaí, in pinpointing areas where owners of dogs can be visited, asked to produce the dog license and further asked to ensure that their dogs are under control and not allowed to wander the countryside during the day or night.

“To be told that such a map, which Kerry County Council have, cannot be published under GDPR requirements is to miss the value of the map for the sake of a nonsense,” he said.

Fitzgerald also called for greater enforcement in dog tagging, saying the Area Monitoring Satellite system by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine needs to be employed.

In a statement, Kerry County Council acknowledged that it had developed a map of dog attacks on sheep in the county.

The map indicates the specific property where a reported incident took place and is used by Dog Wardens as part of their role as Authorised Officers in the investigation of dog attacks under the Control of Dogs Act.

“The map, as it currently stands, contains personal information in respect of landowners and developed for use by authorised officers and thus in compliance with Kerry County Council’s GDPR requirements cannot be published,” the council said.