Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of animal welfare, particularly dog welfare. Last week, three dogs were shot and dumped in a bog in Westmeath. This Government's attitude to dog welfare, and animal welfare generally, is lamentable. We see images of horses around the country that are emaciated, have open wounds and are without water. Dogs are in pounds or are being shot and dumped. The Government needs to invest in pounds and rescues to help these especially vulnerable dogs. There needs to be an improvement in microchipping so abusers can be prosecuted. There needs to be a real crackdown on puppy farms. Whether the Government wants to admit it or not, Ireland is the puppy farm capital of Europe. Although there are dog welfare laws, they are weak. To compound that, the enforcement of those laws is particularly ineffective. One example is the epidemic of dog abandonment in Ireland. The law considers it an offence to abandon a dog but, in practice, there is no deterrent. There is no enforcement of the laws. A total of 7,510 dogs entered Irish pounds in 2023, which was an increase of 80% since 2021. There is clearly no deterrent. It is important we have an awareness of the poor enforcement of dog welfare laws in Ireland. We need the Minister to come into the House to explain what he plans to do to ensure dog welfare and animal welfare generally in Ireland are improved.