Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is a very serious and real issue. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, held a meeting regarding the control of dogs on 9 January. The working group met on 8 February. Two senior officials from my Department are involved in that group. It is a very serious issue for people. We need to make sure that proper controls are in place, especially for certain breeds of dog. That work is ongoing and we want to do it as speedily and efficiently as possible.

On the issue of equine welfare, we all saw videos on social media of horses being raced on motorways throughout the country. There was also a terrible situation with regard to a donkey being towed by a car a number of weeks ago. The cruelty shown to animals is, in some instances, frankly, disgusting and the perpetrators need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The control of dogs working group is looking specifically at that matter. The Deputy is right about animal welfare and animal safety, on which we have very strong laws in this country. In some areas they need to be enforced more efficiently. I will certainly take the Deputy's views on board and relay them to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

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