Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. My Department has policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act and local authorities have responsibility for all operational matters, including enforcement.

The Control of Dogs Act set out a number of legal obligations with which all dog owners must comply. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out further requirements on compliance for owners of specific breeds of dogs, including crosses of those breeds.

I am committed to improving outcomes in dog control in Ireland and, in this context, I recently increased on-the-spot fines for offences under the Control of Dogs Act, including trebling the fines for most serious offences from €100 to €300. Multiple fines can be issued where more than one offence occurs.

In addition, I announced the establishment of a high-level stakeholder group to consider and make recommendations to strengthen policy on these issues. I have appointed John Twomey as chair of the stakeholder group, which comprises members with a broad range of expertise, including academics, veterinary surgeons, local authorities, farming interests, charities working in the field and animal welfare experts. The first meeting of this group will take place shortly.

My Department is also supporting a national training programme for dog wardens to ensure consistency and a standardised approach to enforcement. This training begins in April. I believe it is important for dog owners to be aware of their responsibilities, not just to the general public but also to their dogs. For this reason, I intend to launch a media campaign shortly to alert dog owners to their responsibilities and to raise awareness of the dangers that can be posed by uncontrolled dogs.

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