Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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472. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will introduce additional legislation to deal with the problem of noise from barking dogs in residential areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41372/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of section 25 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, the District Court may act on a complaint by any person where a nuisance has been created by excessive barking by a dog. A copy of the form used for complaints to the Courts regarding barking is available from local authorities. The Court may make an order, requiring the occupier of the premises in which the dog is kept to abate the nuisance by exercising due control over the dog. The Court may also limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a premises or may direct that the dog be delivered to a dog warden to be dealt with as an unwanted dog. While complaints in relation to barking dogs are largely dealt with under the provisions of the Control of Dogs Acts, the position in relation to noise nuisance generally is that a person experiencing noise nuisance may contact their local authority, which may initiate proceedings on grounds of noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. This Act also provides for any person, or group of persons, to seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation.

A public information leaflet, A Guide to the Noise Regulations, outlining the legal avenues available to persons experiencing noise nuisance, is available from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment or on my Department's website at

I am satisfied that current legislation provides a robust regulatory framework for dealing with noise from barking dogs and I have no plans to amend the Control of Dogs Acts in respect of this matter.