Woman dies after dog attack in Ireland

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - A 23-year-old woman has died following a dog attack at a house in Ballyneety, County Limerick, a city in western Ireland.

The incident occurred late on Tuesday night.

Garda (Irish police) reported that paramedics treated the woman at the scene, but she succumbed to her injuries.

A spokesperson for the Garda said that officers from an armed support unit, who were dispatched to the scene, encountered several aggressive dogs.

One dog was killed and three others seized.

The woman's body has been taken to University Hospital Limerick, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.

According to Irish broadcaster RTE, the dog that was killed is believed to have been an XL bully, and the other dogs are suspected to be from restricted breeds.

Heather Humphreys, the Irish minister for rural and community development, expressed her horror at the incident and extended her sympathies to the woman's family.

She emphasized the need for more stringent dog control measures and mentioned that a cross-governmental stakeholder group has been established to address this issue.

The group is chaired by retired Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey.

"I have asked the group to examine the restricted breeds list, in line with actions being taken in the UK and Northern Ireland," Humphreys stated.

"I am committed to working with colleagues across the government in taking whatever action is necessary to strengthen our dog control laws," she added.

The tragic event has reignited discussions on dog control legislation in Ireland, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced regulations to prevent such incidents in the future.​​​​​​​