Ms Jennifer Dowler:

I thank the committee for having us here today and congratulate Dr. Burgoyne on her presentation. I will talk about the history of assistance dogs. Assistance dogs originated with the guide dog after World War One. Approximately 40 years ago the broader concept of assistance dogs was developed. Assistance dogs are trained to assist people with a wide variety of disabilities. We have the guide dog, which is trained specifically to assist people with visual impairment. The hearing dog assists people with hearing impairment. Assistance dogs, also known as service dogs, cover all other areas.

I will introduce to the committee the charities we represent. Irish Dogs for the Disabled is a national charity which trains assistance dogs for children and adults living with physical disabilities so that they can achieve greater independence. Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is the longest acting assistance dog-guide dog organisation in Ireland. It was founded in 1976 and helps the blind and visually impaired as well as children with autism and their families. My Canine Companion was set up in 2011. Its main purpose is to provide highly trained and skilled service dogs for people with autism. Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland is a national charity which trains assistance dogs for children with autism and their families. In addition to the group, the Irish Kennel Club promotes responsible ownership and breeding of dogs throughout Ireland through education, registration, training and support. In 2014 a coalition known as Irish Assistance Dogs was formed to encourage the exchange of ideas and best practice among its members, raise awareness among the general public and promote behavioural and legislative change to ensure that vulnerable clients and adults are protected within the sector.

All the groups have agreed to the standards set down by Assistance Dogs International and are fully accredited or in the process of being fully accredited. The accreditation process covers standards in the following areas: administration, client training, training of dogs, health and welfare of dogs, staff training and volunteers, facilities, prison programmes, self-certification and privately trained assistance dogs teams.

We are here today because there is a need for change in the law. Currently, all laws regarding public access pertain specifically to guide dogs for the visually impaired although keepers of assistance dogs are exempt from being prosecuted for keeping a dog on a property where food is being supplied. Our group believes assistance dog users need the same legal rights of access as guide dog users; all organisations, be they not for profit or private, must ensure that public liability insurance is provided for all qualified assistance dog partnerships upon graduation; all organisations must, as a priority, ensure the welfare and safety of both the client and the dog at all times and ensure that proper procedures are in place to address any problems that would arise in this area; all current allowances received from Revenue to guide dog users should be extended to all assistance dog users; and all assistance dogs should be exempt from the dog licence requirement, which is the case with guide dogs.

The group is proposing an individual passport-style document would be issued to each ADI certified partnership to assist in the identification of genuine partnerships. Our greatest concern is the increasing number of companies selling assistance dog-style jackets and branded materials and the ease with which anyone can acquire these items. Our fear is that insufficiently trained dogs will behave in a manner which will affect access for all certified assistance dog partnerships.