Mr. Conor Dowling:

I think that another symptom of something that has been raised previously is the fact that the responsibility lies with different Departments. Dog licensing and dog control is the responsibility of the Department of Rural and Community Development, whereas microchipping is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It would make a lot of sense for them to be linked together. The Deputy mentioned that a vehicle that is not licensed appropriately can be seized. If a dog is not microchipped, theoretically, under the legislation, that is an offence and the dog could be seized. However, it is not a practical option. When we are talking about live animals, they are not like vehicles that can be impounded and stuck in a yard, or a bit of evidence that can be stuck on a shelf. They are live animals. They are very costly to maintain and there is also a welfare implication. Certainly, as the Deputy has described, there is a disconnect between the licensing and the microchipping. If that could be brought together with everything on one database, it would make a lot of sense.