John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1903. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will initiate a public consultation process regarding dog control regulations with all stakeholders to include organisations that maintain a register of dog owners and breeders, associations representing particular breeds (details supplied) and qualified dog trainers and behaviourists and vets; if she will examine the laws and regulations in other European countries with a view to establishing best practice in the regulation of dogs and how to apply the findings in Ireland; if the regulations governing the importation of dogs will also be examined with a view to updating the current regulations; if a public awareness campaign relative to the consultation will be undertaken to encourage persons to make a submission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63761/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, sets out a range of requirements for all dog owners or any other person in charge of a dog. The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out further requirements that owners of specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of those breeds, have to follow. Such dogs must be muzzled and led, on a sufficiently strong leash or chain not exceeding 2 metres in length, by a competent person over 16 years of age, when in a public place.

Concerns had been raised regarding the overall approach to the regulation of restricted breeds. Some stakeholders asserted that more breeds should be added to the list – especially given the newer breeds that have arrived in Ireland over the last number of years. Others believed that a different approach should be taken which would focus on the behavioural issues of individual dogs, rather than specific breeds and should move away from muzzling.

Following a review of this policy area, including a public consultation process to which over 1,000 responses were received and an examination of approaches in other jurisdictions, my Department published on gov.ie the report on ‘A Review of Measures relating to the Control of Dogs in Ireland’. A selection of the submissions received were also published alongside the report.

My Department is now identifying any necessary legislative amendments that may be required with a view to inclusion in the Government legislation programme.

Furthermore, last week, my officials and I met with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., to discuss how our departments can address shared concerns regarding dog control and ownership. We have agreed to establish a working group that will examine the various issues and consider all relevant legislative and enforcement issues in relation to dogs. This review will bring all the key players together to consider what action can be taken to keep both people and animals safe.