Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to call for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, about yesterday's report on the huge disparity across the country in local authorities in the collection of fines under the control of dogs regulations. Dublin County Council is doing a great job, with 105 spot fines being issued. Fingal County Council issued 90 but South Dublin County Council only issued 18 and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council issued a single fine. Some counties, such as Clare, Longford, Westmeath and Cavan, have issued no fines at all. This is all at a time when we are seeing an increase in dog attacks. In the last two years there have been 1,500 dog attacks.Some 430 of those were on people, 240 on livestock and 180 on other animals. I would like a debate with the Minister. Even before we saw the horrific attacks on the young boy in Waterford, I had repeatedly called on the Department of the Minister, Heather Humphreys, to do more than just say it is responsible for the enactment of the legislation. It is the Department with responsibility for ensuring that local authorities are actually enforcing that legislation. While it is welcome that we have seen an increase in the fines from €100 to €300 and will see an increase in the number of dog wardens, when we see such disparity in the numbers between local authorities, clearly it is not about resources or the number of dog wardens. It is about certain local authorities deeming dog welfare and the control of dogs as insignificant or not a priority for them.

That is where the Minister's role comes in. She has oversight of this so she should ensure there is consistency across the board at all local authorities not just as regards giving out the fines but also ensuring that the prosecutions follow through. I would like a debate with the Minister, Heather Humphreys. One of the things the agriculture committee has called for is that all dog welfare would move to one single Department, one single portfolio. That is an important recommendation.