Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has just summed up the problem in his response in that it is scattered all over multiple Departments. The Department of Rural and Community Development has the responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act but, once the dog is seized or surrendered, it is the local authority's problem and we had the same issue when the Minister of State's Department officials came before the committee. They have taken their eye off the ball.

The reduction in the number of dogs euthanised is due to dogs going to animal welfare organisations. Dogs Trust alone has seen an increase of up to 2,100 dogs compared with 1,600 last year. One database has shown a 46% increase in dogs microchipped in the past 12 months and many of those presenting at the pounds are not even microchipped. We are back where we were ten years ago and face a tsunami of unwanted dogs. It just shows why the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine called for all of the animal welfare issues to be brought into one Department. They are scattered all over the place and nobody is focused on the tsunami of dogs that are coming down the line.