Mr. Eoin Ryan:

I would like to thank the Chairman for this opportunity to address the committee on the topic of dangerous dog breeds and sheep worrying. I am joined this evening by my colleague, Dr. Mary McCarthy, principal officer, who is responsible for animal health and import policy division. The Department has responsibility for five general areas relating to dogs: the pet sales register; pet passports; the movement and trade of dogs internationally; the microchipping of dogs; and the provisions of the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act, which applies to dogs. I will discuss these areas in more detail shortly.

On the issue of the control of dogs, the Ministers, Deputy McConalogue and Deputy Humphreys, established a working group on dog control recently, as outlined by my colleague from the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine chairs and provides the secretariat for this working group. Two meetings of the working group have been held already, with a third meeting to be held tomorrow afternoon.

While policy responsibilities for dog control and dog welfare lie with separate Departments, the expectation is that this group, involving those officials working on dog issues across different areas, will enable us to take a co-ordinated approach to these issues. In practice, there can be a considerable degree of overlap between policy issues such as dog control, dog welfare, sheep worrying and other related public concerns.

The Department has an important role on dog welfare, in the context of its overall responsibilities for animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 was introduced after public and stakeholder consultation, and with the legislative expertise of this committee.

The Act updated and consolidated existing legislation, modernising it in line with newer knowledge and understanding of animal welfare. It provided a regulatory framework for the welfare of all animals and assigned specific responsibility for animal welfare policy to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It provided a strong basis for many positive developments. As our understanding of the welfare needs of animals expands, the legislative framework continues to accommodate the development of strategies and actions to further enhance animal welfare.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has a strong history of supporting the welfare of animals. Animal welfare has never had a more important place in terms of policy, resources and practical implementation. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, enables the Department to regulate and support animal welfare through concrete, tangible measures. The Department has well in excess of 200 authorised officers who carry out welfare inspections in every county and are out on the ground every day, providing advice and support to the keepers of animals. Members of An Garda Síochána as well as ISPCA and DSPCA inspectors are also authorised under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. In addition to being able to offer advice and expertise, the Animal Health and Welfare Act ensures that authorised officers have the legal basis to issue improvement notices and compliance notices, which in the majority of cases are very effective. People are rarely intentionally cruel or neglectful, and most animal welfare risks can be resolved before they become critical. When necessary, legal sanctions are imposed, and prosecutions are taken when other efforts to ensure compliance have failed or there is blatant disregard for an animal's welfare. To date, 121 successful prosecutions have been taken under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, of which 90 relate to dogs. A number of other investigations are ongoing.

In 2021, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, launched Working Together for Animal Welfare,Ireland's Animal Welfare Strategy 2021 to 2025. This is Ireland's first stand-alone animal welfare strategy. It is a living, action-focused strategy, responding to priorities raised by stakeholders during extensive dialogue and consultation, and reflecting the significant animal welfare commitments in the programme for Government. Real progress has already been made.

Delivering on the strategy and in response to the programme for Government commitment to advance initiatives on responsible pet ownership, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has established a new independently chaired advisory council on companion animal welfare. Independent members with a range of expertise and experience have been appointed. The council is up and running and provides advice on policy matters and where appropriate will issue guidelines and recommendations in relation to companion animals. The strategy acknowledges that animal welfare is a complex and evolving concept which can mean different things to different people. Perspectives on animal welfare are influenced by both science and values, which explains why there are often diverging views in society and sometimes between scientists. This council, therefore, is a critical stakeholder grouping which will assist the Department in prioritising and advancing policy initiatives relating to companion animals.

Other key actions of the strategy include the establishment of the first chair in animal welfare and veterinary ethics at UCD's School of Veterinary Medicine, support for One Health, One Welfare-focused research, and the development of initiatives to promote responsible animal and pet ownership including through education.

The Department acknowledges the valuable work done by animal welfare organisations. Our officials work closely with many of them every day. Since 2002, the Department has financially supported eligible NGOs, and what started as a modest scheme has grown exponentially, with record assistance of €5.8 million awarded by the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to 99 animal welfare organisations last December. Of this, almost €4.7 million went to 73 organisations directly supporting canine welfare, and the Department has thus met the programme for Government commitment to double funding within two years. This funding recognises the importance of the role such charities play in education, awareness raising and dissemination of knowledge to improve animal welfare. This is particularly relevant for encouraging responsible pet ownership, which can help to reduce the number of dogs abandoned or surrendered to charities. The Department's animal welfare grants include funding provision for the appointment of officers authorised under the Act, nine of whom are officers of the ISPCA and four are officers of the DSPCA.

The Department has responsibility for the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations, 2015. The primary policy objectives of this legislation were: to protect the welfare of all dogs; assist in uniting stray dogs with their owners; to act as a deterrent for those who abandon dogs; and assist in identifying marauding dogs. All dogs of more than 12 weeks old must be microchipped and the possession, movement, sale or supply of an unchipped dog is an offence. This helps to ensure the security and improves the chance of safe return if a dog is stolen. The system is effective in helping to reunite stray or lost dogs with their owners and is recognised among EU member states as an excellent model. Data indicates a high level of compliance, with more than 700,000 dogs microchipped since 2017, including more than 122,000 registered in 2022. Among the conditions of funding for recipients of the Department's animal welfare grants, animal welfare organisations must ensure that all rescued and re-homed dogs are microchipped.

The four approved database operators are required to provide details of the microchip data they hold to Europetnet, a Europe-wide umbrella group of associations which registers owner information for microchipped pets. Europetnet identifies to which database a microchip has been registered, and that database can then be contacted. Microchipping regulations can be enforced by any officer authorised under the Animal Health and Welfare Act including officers of the Department, An Garda Síochána, dog wardens, members of the local authority veterinary service, customs agents and inspectors of the ISPCA and DSPCA.

The Department is responsible for the Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pet Animals) Regulations 2019. The regulations apply to anyone selling six or more pets in a calendar year. Sellers and suppliers must register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine giving premises details. Sellers' names, registration numbers and county information are published online. Anyone registered under the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010 is not required to further register with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as a seller or supplier of pet animals. Advertisement of a dog for sale or supply must include minimum information about the seller, origin, age and microchip number. The Department is in contact with microchip database companies and online platforms to enable easier and more reliable verification of microchip numbers.

The Department has responsibility for policy on the movement of dogs into and out of Ireland, including intra-community trade and movements to or from third countries. In 2022, some 29,706 pet passports were issued, of which 27,379 were to veterinary practitioners and 2,330 to animal welfare charities. The majority of these relate to dogs.

A number of these policy areas have recently been considered by this committee which published a report on issues impacting dog welfare in Ireland in October 2022. A Private Members' Bill, the Animal Health and Welfare (Dogs) Bill 2022, is currently before the Seanad and contains proposals related to some of these points. Department officials are considering these carefully as well as listening to the opinions expressed by stakeholders on these topics.

I will conclude by re-emphasising that the Department operates a confidential, dedicated animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report concerns about the welfare of any animal by phone or by email. The helpline can be contacted at 01-6072379, or by email at animalwelfare@agricuIture.gov.ie. The Department received 1,251 animal welfare reports in 2022. Each report is followed up by a Department official or an ISPCA or DSPCA authorised officer.

I hope that I have given members of the committee a good overview of the Department's responsibilities in respect of dogs and our role in the newly established dog control working group. My colleague and I will be pleased to answer any questions the committee may have.