Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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255. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the actions he plans to take to address the situation in puppy farms in view of the perceived ignoring of the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010 and the lack of enforcement of the Act; and his further plans to implement the guideline review and rectify the State's poor reputation with regard to dog breeding establishments. [45243/17]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The regulation of dog breeding establishments is a matter for local authorities in accordance with the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010.

The Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010 provides a robust regulatory framework for, inter alia, the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare, for the closure of such establishments.

A joint inspection regime of dog breeding establishments, involving the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Local Authority Veterinary Service, was inaugurated in 2015 for the purpose of inspection and follow up action. The discovery of individual problematic dog breeding establishments, and the taking of action by the Gardaí, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and local authorities in an integrated manner in the most serious cases, is a matter for the enforcement authorities concerned.

In late 2015, the then Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government agreed to begin a process of review of the current Dog Breeding Establishment Guidelines. In 2016, the review was broadened to a more formal public consultation, both for quality assurance and to address the need for openness and inclusiveness. A wide-scale formal public consultative process commenced on 1 December 2016 and closed on 28 February 2017.

Responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, including responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, was recently delegated to Mr. Seán Kyne, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Department has completed its review of the feedback and data received through the consultation process and the findings will be submitted to Minister Kyne shortly.