Ms Lean Kennedy:

I will not name the four dog schools again but we are coming here today as a coalition. The Vice Chairman is right in saying that this involves different Departments. Guide dogs are mentioned in legislation like the Control of Dogs Act. This comes under the remit of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Blind and visually impaired persons who have a guide dog get a guide dog allowance to feed and care for their dog. The Equal Status Acts come under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality. People with assistance dogs have rights of access under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2011. We did work with the Department of Health which trickled down to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Environmental Health Officers Association where they included assistance dogs for children with autism and companion dogs for people with other disabilities in their guidelines on food hygiene regulations. We have access.

Somebody asked about the UK. A similar situation pertains there. Assistance Dogs UK is a coalition there. The Equality Act was introduced in the UK in 2010. This Act is modelled on the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2011. The terminology is very much the same. Service providers must make reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. They must recognise that an assistance or guide dog is essential to their owner. They are essential mobility and safety aids. As they are exempt from food hygiene regulations, there is no reason not to allow dogs. This is what we are asking for today. We are asking for assistance dogs to be formally included in legislation. In respect of the Control of Dogs Act, we have carried out awareness work with dog wardens and we have a lot of good will from them. They are looking at ways of changing local authority bylaws to include assistance dogs. We are trying to engage all the Departments to create awareness that assistance dogs, particularly dogs for children with autism, need to be formally included in legislation so that we are all reassured that families with assistance dogs will get the same rights and allowances that guide dog owners get.

We are also here to assure everyone that the four schools all meet the highest standards of training, veterinary care and grooming. We all work together and meet the same standards. I assure businesses that assistance dogs meet the same requirements as guide dogs and are just as essential to their owners. I hope this answers the questions.