Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the programme for Government there is a commitment to look at legislation relating to dog welfare. Over recent months there have been serious issues relating to Ashtown dog pound and disturbing news of an ongoing Garda investigation into the treatment of dogs brought to the pound. I am very aware of this matter from my time as a councillor and it was brought before us on many occasions. To be honest, I would be horrified if my dog ever ended up in that pound.

There is current legislation on dog welfare but, unfortunately, it goes across several Departments, including those dealing with agriculture, community development and rural affairs. We really need to figure out a way of getting all the dog welfare legislation under one Department so we can look at the related matters, including databases and chipping of dogs. The regulations around dog breeders must be rectified as soon as possible, as there are serious concerns about the sector.

See this speech in context