Sadly, those breeds are more likely to be dangerous. They are more likely to be purchased by owners for that reason.
Some such as the APBT are come under the Dangerous dogs act, so are banned throughout the UK anyway, which actually makes this Irish legislation more relaxed.
I'm a big fan of Alsatians and I know that they are one of the most intelligent, loving dogs you can find (In fact the reason why they aren't used more as guide dogs is because they suffer from separation anxiety and don't adjust well transferring from trainer to user). But I also know that because of their size, they can be dangerous (particularly if they been abused / trained to be).
The vast majority of private tenancy agreements don't allow for any pets at all (which is why I don't currently have a dog), so again this isn't really anything that surprising.
