Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The Department of Rural and Community Development has the policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. The Dog Breeding Establishments Act provides a regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and an immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare, for the closure of such establishments.

I agree with the Deputy. We have had horrific instances where people have been attacked by dogs. Children have been scarred for life. Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, local authorities are responsible for all operational activities, such as the registration, inspection and the regulation of dog breeding establishments, including enforcement activities. Updates to the existing legislation are required. It is proposed that amendments will be made through a new control of dogs and dog breeding establishments (miscellaneous provisions) Bill.

A high-level stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider and make recommendations to strengthen policy on these issues. Retired deputy Garda commissioner Mr. John Twomey is chair of the stakeholder group which comprises members with a broad range of experience. The group has been tasked with considering the policy and legislative matters currently under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development. The dog control stakeholder group is currently reviewing the existing legislative provisions. It is taking account of recommendations from the report of the working group on the control of dogs, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, consultation with stakeholders and experts in the field and the outcomes of the public consultation undertaken by the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2019. Updates to the existing legislation are required and it is proposed that amendments will be made through a control of dogs and dog breeding establishments (miscellaneous provisions) Bill. Items under consideration include the possibility for dog control notices, the inclusion of additional breeds in the restricted dog list and updates to definitions contained in the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The wide-ranging and complex issues involved here require in-depth analysis and consultation to ensure amendments are not just robust but also fit for purpose and implementable. They also have to deliver the best outcomes for communities and the dogs themselves.

In December 2023, a responsible dog ownership leaflet was launched by the former Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, along with the then Minister for agriculture, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, to raise awareness about the responsibilities of dog owners. In early 2024, a major national awareness campaign was launched to alert dog owners to their responsibilities and to raise awareness of the dangers that can be posed to people and to livestock by uncontrolled dogs. The Department has also supported a national training programme for dog wardens to ensure a standardised approach to enforcement and to support shared learnings throughout the country. I hope this response, of which I can provide a copy to the Deputy, will help to support what she is hoping to achieve.

See this speech in context