Ms Bairbre Nic Aongusa:

We see this as a matter for the local authorities. They are the ones with responsibility for enforcement. We would engage with them and find out in general how things are going but this is a matter for each local authority. They have a statutory function under the Act as the authority with responsibility for dog control within their functional areas. It is the same with parking fines and things like that. It is an enforcement act to be carried out by the local authority under its statutory function.