Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Collins, for coming in to take this matter. It relates to dog-breeding establishments. I am looking for details on the number of pups bred in the country every year and the numbers exported. I listed in the text of the Topical Issue I submitted the various bits and pieces I am seeking.

I have dealt with many animal rights groups and charities in recent years. Some of the stuff I have seen has been eye-opening. Some of the facts, statistics and images I have seen at first hand are appalling. The State and the Government have a great deal to do to ensure that dog-breeding establishments are compliant and regulated and that where issues arise, the repercussions are felt by those offending or not in compliance.

Nearly 7,500 dogs entered Irish pounds last years according to the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that the numbers of cats and dogs surrendered between January and November last year were up 49% and 44%, respectively, and that 30,000 pups are bred in licensed establishments every year. Other animal welfare groups estimate the figure could be anywhere from 70,000 to 80,000 pups per annum.

To give an example of how big and lucrative the industry is in Ireland, the UK has a population 15 times larger than ours and yet we produce half the number of pups that are bred there. That shows the extent of the dog-breeding in this country. Much of it is done properly and correctly by responsible breeders, but, unfortunately, much of it goes under the radar. Some 25,770 pups were listed for sale on dogs.ie in 2024.

Annually, we are told the figure of registered pups bred in licensed establishments is typically 7,000 or 8,000. How were there 25,500 pups for sale on dogs.iein 2024? That is something we need to reconcile and correct.

Some of the practices in the sector are very concerning. It is an industry estimated to be worth around €150 million per annum. We need to look at legislation that will restrict the number of breeding bitches we permit dog breeders to have. At present one can have six breeding bitches. That needs to be revised downwards, in the context of the capacity of these establishments and animal welfare being at the centre of it. We need to tighten up on alleged tax avoidance by those breeders, particularly in non-registered or backyard breeding establishments. There is a clear case for Revenue to be looking at this. We also need to tighten up on the issue of dog licensing and micro-chipping to ensure there is compliance. I was in the Dáil a number of weeks ago when a Fine Gael TD, Deputy O'Connell, raised the issue of a recent court case where a person clearly in breech and found guilty of numerous animal welfare abuses was fined a measly €500. Anybody who knows anything about the industry knows the pups are often going for €1,000 or €2,000. When we have a system that does not disincentivise that type of behaviour, people will continue to take their chances and operate under the radar.

Recently, Barry Roche, a journalist in the Irish Examiner, had a story about a conviction in Charleville which I might mention in my supplementary contribution.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this matter with respect to dog breeding establishments and the number of exports internationally. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has asked me to take this matter on his behalf. 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 immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare for the closure of such establishments. Local authorities are responsible for the enforcement of the Act. Section 9 of the Act states that each local authority shall cause to be established and maintained a register of dog breeding establishments situated in its functional area. Therefore, the legal responsibility to maintain a register of dog breeding establishments is a matter for each local authority.

However, recommendation 11 of the Report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs recommended that a centralised national database of dog breeding establishments should be created. In 2023, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht reached out to local authorities to collate their registers. The Dog Breeding Establishment National Register was then published on gov.ie. Data on the number of pups bred in dog breeding establishments was not requested at that time. In March 2025, information was requested from local authorities to update the register, to include the number of female dogs in each dog breeding establishment, but the number of pups bred was not requested as part of these returns. The updated register will be published on gov.ie in the coming weeks once all the returns have been collated, based on the information that was provided by the local authorities.

Regarding the number of dogs exported internationally, these are facilitated through commercial movements. Commercial movement of pets is defined where a pet, or pets, are either travelling unaccompanied, or are travelling for the use of trading, or for shows, sporting events or where an owner has more than five pets travelling. All commercial movements of dogs require certification. The type of certification is dependent on whether the destination is to other EU countries or non-EU countries. The number of dogs exported commercially from Ireland in the past five years are as follows: in 2020, 8,993; in 2021, 10,581; in 2022, 7,089; in 2023, 9,440; and in 2024, 8,768. Certification must be signed off by a veterinary inspector in the regional veterinary office of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. An exporter must contact their local regional veterinary office to have an inspection of the shipment of dogs completed prior to travel. The regional veterinary office inspection includes relevant paperwork, vaccines, microchips, health certificates, animal welfare and confirmation that the exporter is registered with the Department.

As part of the programme for Government, this Government is addressing the disjointed approach to dog control issues ensuring all legislation and policy related to the control of dogs, dog welfare, and dog breeding establishments will rest with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. As the Deputy knows, there is a mechanism by which transfers of functions happen when new Governments take up office and when new Departments are established. Policy and legislative responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2020 is due to transfer to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht imminently. Both Departments are working closely together to ensure the smooth transfer of functions.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. I know it is not his Department but I appreciate the figures. I was already familiar with many of them. For example, one statistic was that in 2024, a figure of 8,768 pups were exported. The ISPCA and the DSPCA both estimate that around 40,000 or 50,000 pups were exported. I trust the charities on the ground. As public representatives, when we get a report of a horse, a dog or whatever in jeopardy, we know they are the people dealing with it everyday. Basically, the State is gives them a few bob every year to sustain them in the hope that we are ticking the boxes. Essentially, that is what we have done over the last few years. I trust their figures more than I trust the Department's figures. When they tell me there is more than 40,000 pups being exported every year, I trust them and not necessarily the figures the Minister of State read out.

The Minister of State rightly said it is the responsibility of the local authorities. I can only speak about Cork but I think we have three dog wardens in the city at the moment. I think it is a bit better in the county where there are approximately six. They are not tasked with enforcing the stuff they are faced with.

I am just on the phone to a journalist, Barry Roche, who had an article in the Irish Examiner a couple of weeks back about somebody who was found guilty in Charleville. The crimes that are being committed and the gain for these people in taking the chance and going under the radar far outstrip the sanctions and penalties they are faced with if they get caught.

I am aware this will all come under the Department of agriculture but I have a concern about that. I understand why it is being done, because the vets are with the Department of agriculture, but there are not enough vets. The vets will say there are not enough of them. They do not even have powers to do unsanctioned visits or inspections of properties.

The Minister of State and I live in the part of the country where most of this puppy farm culture is, namely, north Cork, west Limerick and parts of Kerry. The numbers being paraded are frankly astounding. It is an industry worth more than €120 million or 130 million. It needs to be better regulated and tightened up. Ultimately, we need to improve animal welfare standards.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I absolutely agree with the Deputy that more needs to be done in this area. The whole area of dog breeding is a huge industry at the moment. The 2019 Act was a very progressive start but we must revisit it and probably update it. I have always been a huge advocate of animal welfare. We must always strive to continue to do more to promote a better culture of animal welfare, whether it is for dogs, cats, horses or whatever. I want to acknowledge the hundreds of animal welfare groups around the country. They do receive funding from the Department of agriculture but it is not enough. They need more. Unfortunately, they have to rely on their own fundraising mechanisms too much and we need to resource them a little bit better. I want give a particular shout out to the DEEL Sighthound Rescue organisation in Limerick, Star Rescue and Limerick Animal Welfare. I have first-hand knowledge of the very fine work they do.

I want to refer to the 2010 Act. I remember, because I was here, when the then Minister, John Gormley, brought in the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill. The Opposition at the time cynically used it as a ploy or political tactic to try to wind up everyone involved in outdoor pursuits, whether they were gun clubs, hunting clubs or fishing clubs, that this was going to be the thin end of the wedge and that the Government had a covert agenda of trying to shut down outdoor activities.

It was brilliant legislation at the time. It needs to be updated now and it needs to be better resourced, but at the time, it brought in a regulatory regime around puppy farms and breeding establishments which had got out of control. The ironic thing about it was that John Gormley brought it in in 2010. There was an election in 2011. Parties swapped over and one of the first things then Minister, Phil Hogan, did was commence the legislation when the Opposition of the time was cynical.

I remember when I was canvassing for the 2016 election, I went into a farmyard and met a fella who said he had had strong, robust words with me back in 2010 about the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. He said I told him what it was about, but he did not agree with me and did not believe me at the time. He wanted to compliment me because what I had said was right. A few years later, people saw the good in it. Unfortunately, a lot of groups were misled at the time. That legislation needs to be updated because 2010 was 15 years ago at this point. A lot of people do a lot of good work on animal welfare.