Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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169. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the progress of the consultative review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010; if he will make available the text of the first draft of that review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33282/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In late 2015, my Department agreed to begin a process of review of the current Dog Breeding Establishment Guidelines, undertaken by an expert Working Group. The Working Group is representative of my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Agriculture Northern Ireland, the Local Authority Veterinary Services (LAVS), the ISPCA and the DSPCA. All of these bodies have a formal regulatory role and the requisite expertise in this area. Meetings to review the Guidelines commenced last January.

The Working Group concerned has produced a first draft revision of the guidelines. The Canine Breeders of Ireland and the Hunt Association of Ireland have been consulted as part of the review process. The draft revision is currently under consideration in my Department and I expect that the matter will be submitted for my consideration shortly so that the revised guidelines may be published.

As the deliberative process is currently under way, it would be inappropriate of me to release this draft document at this time.