Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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756. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government within the context of the Control of Dogs Acts, his plans to introduce new legislation aimed at providing greater protection for owners of guide dogs and assistant guide dogs, which will enable local authority dog wardens to prosecute dog owners whose animals attack or interfere with guide dogs and their owners, as local authority dog wardens are powerless at present to act in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23108/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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It is an offence under the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010, prosecutable by the local authority in whose area the offence was committed, for the owner or any other person in charge of a dog not to accompany the dog and keep it under effectual control when in any place other than the premises of the owner, the premises of the person in control of the dog, or other premises with the consent of the owner of the premises. The local authority Dog Warden may seize any dog and detain it in order to ascertain whether an offence under the Acts is being or has been committed and may enter any premises (other than a dwelling) for the purposes of such seizure and detention. In view of the powers already available to local authorities and Dog Wardens to prosecute dog owners whose dogs are not kept under sufficient effectual control to prevent an attack or interference with guide dogs and their owners, and to seize such dogs, I have no plans to amend the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2010 in respect of these matters.