Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The use of remotely controlled electronic shock collars in dogs and cats has been banned in several European countries on the grounds of animal welfare. The question of whether the use of these devices on dogs and cats ought to be banned in Ireland is under consideration within my Department following consultations with the Advisory Council for Companion Animal Welfare (ACCAW), which advises me on such matters.

To further inform the decision making process my Department has conducted a public consultation. This consultation relates only to the use of electronic shock collars which are operated by a hand-held remote control. It does not relate to the use of collars which are part of a fencing/containment system to prevent straying or to anti-bark collars.

The deadline for submissions to my Department in relation to this consultation was the 16th of February, 2024. Officials in my Department will now consider and reflect on the submissions received.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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At present there are no plans within my Department to introduce qualifications and associated regulations with regard to dog trainers operating in Ireland.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for S.I. No 63/2015, the Microchipping of Dogs Regulation 2015 and S.I. 427/2015 - Microchipping of Dogs (Amendment) Regulations 2015. Under these Regulations, all dogs over 12 weeks of age (or younger if sold before 12 weeks) must be microchipped.

It is illegal to sell/supply a dog that is not microchipped. The microchip number must be registered; this helps to ensure the traceability of a dog that strays and improves the chance of return to owner if a dog is stolen.

Under the current system, there are four microchip databases in Ireland, run by private operators. These companies are authorised by my Department to register owner details for dog microchips.

As specified in the Regulation, the database operators must provide details of microchips they hold to Europetnet, an umbrella group of associations across Europe which register owner information in relation to uniquely identified dogs. When a chip number registered to one of the four authorised databases in Ireland is entered into the publicly accessible search tool, Europetnet will state which affiliated database the chip is registered to. This enables follow-up with the relevant database.

The question of a centralised national database for dog microchips remains under consideration by my Department. A recently announced proposed regulation at EU level to improve the traceability of dogs and cats includes a proposal for each member state to establish a national microchip database for dogs and cats inter-operable with similar databases in other Member States. These proposals are currently being assessed and considered.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is responsible for S.I. No 63/2015, the Microchipping of Dogs Regulation 2015 and S.I. 427/2015 - Microchipping of Dogs (Amendment) Regulations 2015. Under these Regulations, all dogs over 12 weeks of age (or younger if sold before 12 weeks) must be microchipped.

It is illegal to sell/supply a dog that is not microchipped. The microchip number must be registered; this helps to ensure the traceability of a dog that strays and improves the chance of return to owner if a dog is stolen.

Under the current system, there are four microchip databases in Ireland, run by private operators. These companies are authorised by my Department to register owner details for dog microchips.

As specified in the Regulation, the database operators must provide details of microchips they hold to Europetnet, an umbrella group of associations across Europe which register owner information in relation to uniquely identified dogs. When a chip number registered to one of the four authorised databases in Ireland is entered into the publicly accessible search tool, Europetnet will state which affiliated database the chip is registered to. This enables necessary follow-up by dog wardens with the relevant databases.

The question of a centralised national database for dog microchips remains under consideration by my Department. A recently announced proposed regulation at EU level to improve the traceability of dogs and cats includes a proposal for each member state to establish a national microchip database for dogs and cats inter-operable with similar databases in other Member States. These proposals are currently being assessed and considered