London: Ireland is banning the XL American bully dog breed following a fatal attack on a woman and the mauling of nine-year-old boy that left him with serious facial injuries, a minister said on Friday.
The decision comes after the UK government announced a ban last year in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland and Scotland followed suit earlier this year in response to a wave of horrific incidents.
From October 1, it will be illegal to import, breed or re-sell the so-called XL bully breed in Ireland.
Current owners of XL bullies will be required to neuter their dogs to obtain a certificate of exemption by February 1, 2025 in order to keep them.
Once the legislation is enacted, any person in breach of the regulations will face a fine of up to 2,500 euros ($2,700), up to three months in prison, or both.
The ban was announced by the Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys.
Setting out the measures Humphreys said she understood that many people would oppose the ban.
"We must be mindful however that no dog's life is worth more than human life," she said.
"If we do not take action now the number of these dogs in the country will grow and my fear is that these attacks will become more frequent," she added.
The UK government announced a ban last October for England and Wales and XL bullies now have to be muzzled in public.
That ban came after a number of incidents including one in which a nine-year-old schoolboy, Jack Lis, was killed by an XL bully at a friend's house.
Many owners defended the powerfully-built dogs and stressed the importance of good training.
Critics, however, said the dogs had been specifically bred to be highly aggressive and even responsible ownership could prevent them from attacking on occasion.
