Martin Brady (Dublin North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his intentions to control dangerous dogs, such as pit bull terriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7499/07]

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his response to the call from the ISPCA for the introduction of a ban on pit-bull terriers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6442/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 191 together.

The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 place statutory responsibility for dog control and licensing services on local authorities. The implementation of the Acts is vested in local authorities who have power to appoint dog wardens, to provide shelters for stray and other dogs, to impose on-the-spot fines for a number of offences and to take prosecutions. Local authorities may also may bye-laws in relation to the control of dogs within their functional areas.

The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 made under the above Acts, place controls on ten breeds of dogs including the American Pit Bull Terrier, and the English and Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeds. The controls, which must be observed when the dog is in a public place, require that these dogs, or types and crosses thereof, must be kept on a short lead by a person over 16 years of age who is capable of controlling them and that they are securely muzzled. Furthermore, the Control of Dogs Act 1986 gives specific powers to the courts to order that a dog, which the court considers dangerous, must be kept under proper control or be destroyed.

I consider that these arrangements provide a workable regulatory framework for enforcement by local authorities and I do not propose to ban the owning of any particular dog breed at this stage. However, I propose to review existing control measures to consider, for example, if the micro-chipping of dogs could bring benefits to dog control.