Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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101. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the rules governing the vaccination and transportation of pet puppies to the UK are to be changed on 1 January 2015, in view of the fact that both islands are rabies free; the reason it will be necessary to wait until a pup is 12 weeks old for rabies vaccination and then wait a further 21 days before transportation to the UK; his views on the additional costs being placed on registered pet puppy breeders; his further views that puppies produced under the new regime will be too old for their target market in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48725/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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While rabies is still very widespread in the world with two-thirds of all countries affected, there are thankfully very few cases of rabies in humans reported in the EU, and most EU Member States including Ireland, have not had any indigenous cases for decades. Cases of rabies in wildlife have reduced considerably with the help of EU co-funded control and eradication programmes and western EU Member States are now free of rabies. Recent rabies scares in mainland Europe have highlighted the need for ongoing vigilance.The considerable costs associated with containing a case of rabies are also something to take into account. In accordance with EU law, all pets entering and leaving Ireland must have a valid rabies vaccination evidenced by a pet passport or a veterinary health certificate. The special derogation from a rabies vaccination that was in place in respect of movement of pets between Ireland and the United Kingdom expired on 1 January 2012 and the rabies rules on pet movement within the EU are applied uniformly across the EU.

With effect from 29 December 2014, when Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council will come into operation, dogs must be a minimum of 12 weeks old before a rabies vaccine can be administered. The immunity takes effect 21 days after vaccination, which means that, in fact, pups must be a minimum of 15 weeks of age before they are eligible to travel between Member States of the EU. This new minimum age requirement is based on the veterinary and scientific advice that an animal less than 3 months old may be too young to effectively vaccinate against rabies.A lower age limit would be difficult to justify scientifically and taking account of the risks attaching to greater freedom of movement within and into the Community.

Since the new requirement is applicable to all Member States, it should not disadvantage puppy breeders in Ireland.