Ms Teresa Gavaghan:

I thank the Senator for the questions. We publish annual statistics on the dog control activities of local authorities, including dog control and dog breeding establishments. The Senator firstly asked when the 2021 figures will be published. They will be published shortly. We are currently finalising them and have a few queries to follow up on. We carry out an in-depth checking process. If we need new data, we agree that with local authorities first. We issue a form, generally early in the year, to the chief executives of each local authority to make them aware we are collecting the data. We give a deadline for receipt of that information. We issue quite a detailed and extensive form. The local authorities generally provide the information as soon as possible and we collate it and do thorough checks. There may sometimes be inconsistencies in the data and once we are aware of them, we follow up with the local authorities. The process can be quite detailed.

If local authorities have outsourced their dog control facilities to an animal welfare organisation, such as the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ISPCA, they may have to go to that third party for the information, which can slow down the process. Those figures should be published by the end of the second quarter; certainly by June.