Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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807. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the action being taken to provide County Roscommon with additional resources to support animal welfare in the county; the number of dog wardens available in County Roscommon; if there are plans to introduce additional wardens in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4075/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities.  Information up to and including 2021, by county and in tabular form, is available on the dog control statistics page on gov.ie.  The 2022 dog control statistics will be collated in 2023 and when checked and verified will be published on gov.ie.

Page 1 of the 2021 dog control statistics indicates, by county and in tabular form, that there were 50 full-time dog wardens and 21 part-time dog wardens in 2021, equating to 59.55 full-time equivalent posts.   As outlined in the 2021 dog control statistics, there is one full time dog warden and one part-time dog warden in County Roscommon. 

While Section 15(1) of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 states that every local authority must employ at least one dog warden, it is a matter for each local authority to determine if more than one dog warden is required to carry out the necessary functions of the dog warden service in their local authority area.