Cropping — the removal of part or all of the pinnae or auricles, the external visible flap of the ear — is considered cruel and already banned under section 16(b) of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

Agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue will next week sign regulations introducing penalties for possessing or controlling a dog with cropped ears.

The penalties will range from fines of up to €250,000 and/or up to five years’ imprisonment for the most serious offences, to fines of up to €5,000 and/or up to six months’ imprisonment for less serious offences, The Irish Times reports.

The ISPCA, which has used its prosecution powers to bring a number of criminal cases in relation to illegal ear cropping before the courts, welcomed the move and said dogs with cropped ears have become “more and more prevalent” in Ireland in recent yars.

Conor Dowling, ISPCA chief inspector, said: “As the law stood until now it has been very difficult to prove offences in court. While it was an offence to perform the cropping procedure or to cause another person to carry it out, it was not illegal to import such a dog, to possess such a dog, or to buy or sell such a dog.”

He added: “The new restrictions will better equip our inspectors to tackle this cruel practice. It will take some time, but we hope that this new legislation will finally put a stop to ear cropping in Ireland for good, and that we will get to a position where dogs with cropped ears will not be normalised.”