Mr. Eoin Ryan:

I can do that if the Senator wishes. At the moment, the legislation states that all dogs should be kept under effectual control. As the Senator will be aware, there is a list of restricted breeds that have particular control measures that apply to them with things like muzzling and a short leash, and somebody over the age of 16 has to be in control of the dog and so on.

The Senator mentioned the “Bonzo” advertisement. Our feedback is that it is still quite impactful. Maybe it is a bit of nostalgia or something but some of us remember it from the first time around. We intend to go further than social media this time with our communications campaign around responsible dog ownership.

I cannot speak to cross-Border co-operation. My colleagues may have a little bit more on that in respect of the relationships they have around pet selling and so on. The Senator asked us whether the networking and training for dog wardens was compulsory. It was not compulsory but it was very well attended just the same. There was a national event in Tullamore in 2022 that was open to all local authority dog control personnel, including administrative staff, dog wardens and veterinarians. We had representatives from agriculture and animal welfare groups including the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ISPCA, Dogs Trust Ireland, the Irish Blue Cross, Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption, MADRA, and so on in attendance. There were presentations on the day.

With regard to the national outdoor recreation strategy I mentioned, there was a presentation on sheep-worrying and livestock attacks by somebody from the Irish Natura And Hill Farmers Association. There was also a presentation on restricted breeds and social housing units. I fully acknowledge the Senator's point regarding Louth County Council. It is an exemplar in this area and does fantastic work. We are aware of it. In respect of microchipping and licensing and cross-Border co-operation, I will hand over to colleagues from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.