Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 580: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 600 of 7 March, the level of divergent views submitted to the working group on the monitoring of dog breeding establishments; when he expects the examination of the responses to his Department on this matter to be completed; when he is likely to determine an appropriate response; his views on whether there is ongoing and unnecessary animal suffering due to the vacuum in the legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12981/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The report of the working group which was established to review the management of dog breeding establishments was submitted to me on 7 September 2005. The report contains a number of recommendations, including recommendations on the introduction of statutorily enforceable standards for the dog breeding industry in Ireland, and proposes the introduction of a registration system for dog breeding establishments. However, three of the members of the working group disagreed with the main recommendations and submitted three separate minority reports. It was in the light of those divergent views that I decided to canvass public opinion more widely before taking final decisions on the matter. An advertisement inviting submissions was placed in the national newspapers on Monday, 24 October 2005 and the closing date for receipt of submissions was Friday, 16 December 2005.

The responses received, which also represent a range of different views, are at an advanced stage of examination in the Department and, as soon as this exercise is completed, I will consider further the recommendations in the report of the working group. I will determine an appropriate response within the next two months.