Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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860. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to confirm the amount of funding in total received by each local authority for dog control since 2023. [42474/24]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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861. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount each local authority was granted in each round of funding; the local authorities that have accessed the funding for dog control to date; where the funding has been accessed, if the Department have oversight as to what that funding has been spent on and, if so, please provide details. [42475/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 860 and 861 together.

In November 2023, I announced the establishment of a €2 million capital fund under a new Dog Control Support Initiative.

Under this initiative, funding was provided to Local Authorities to upgrade their dog pounds and shelter facilities, and to move towards cleaner, electric vehicles for dog wardens. A county-by-county breakdown of allocations is attached. Each Local Authority had until 30th June 2024, to inform my Department officials of the nature of the expenditure. A number of Local Authorities requested an extension to expend their allocation, so the full details of this expenditure will be available once all Local Authority reports have been received, collated and analysed.

I also recently announced an additional €2 million in capital funding to Local Authorities to expand and improve their dog pounds and dog warden facilities. This funding comes as a direct response to increased pressures on dog control services and will make immediate and tangible improvements to the dog control service across the country. Once the operational details and allocations have been finalised, my officials will notify all Local Authorities.

In July, together with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, and Minister of State with Responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Alan Dillon TD, I announced funding of €2 million for Local Authorities to support the resourcing of dog warden services from 2025. This funding recognises the increased demands in the area of dog control and the need to ensure resources on the ground to enforce the ban on XL Bully type dogs. Once the operational details and allocations have been finalised, my officials will be in contact with all Local Authorities so that they can begin the recruitment processes required at local level.

Finally, in addition to these measures, my Department is also supporting a national training programme for dog wardens to ensure consistency and a standardised approach to enforcement. This training commenced in April 2024.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues across Government to improve outcomes in relation to Dog Control in Ireland.

Dog Control Support Initiative 2023

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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862. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to confirm the process (details supplied) that will be undertaken when a dog is seized as a suspected XL Bully Type Dog; given the length of time these cases take to get to court, if the Minister will confirm where these dogs will be held until a determination has been made and if the resources are in place for this; if it is determined that the dog has been wrongly seized, if the Minister will confirm that the State will be liable for all costs associated with the detention and any fees incurred by the owner. [42476/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Control of Dogs (XL Bully) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 491/2024) that banned XL Bully type dogs came into force in two stages beginning on the 1st October 2024, with a full ownership ban coming into force on the 1st February 2025.

The ban is being brought in over two stages to give XL Bully type dog owners who wish to keep their XL Bully type dog the time to obtain a 'Certificate of Exemption'. There will be a four month period between the 1st October 2024 and before 1st February 2025, where these owners will be able to apply for a 'Certificate of Exemption'.

All XL Bully type dog owners will be required to licence, microchip and neuter their dogs. Further information on the XL Bully type dog ban, including the criteria to qualify and the documentation to be included with their application for a 'Certificate of Exemption' is available on gov.ie/xlbully.

Owners should use the Physical Conformation Standard to determine if their dog is an XL Bully type dog. It is the owner’s responsibility to determine if their dog is covered by the ban. If owners think their dog could be an XL Bully type dog, they should comply with all new requirements. This includes puppies that have the potential to become an XL Bully type dog.

More information on the definition of an XL Bully type dog is in the Technical Frequently Asked Questions document available on gov.ie/xlbully.

If an application for a 'Certificate of Exemption' is refused for any reason, the owner will be notified in writing by their local authority. Such owners may re-apply if they are subsequently able to address the reason why the application was refused, for example if documentation was missing from the original application.

If further applications are refused, and a new 'Certificate of Exemption' has not been applied for, or is not in place before February 1st 2025, owners may be required to surrender their dog to the local authority Dog Warden.

Under the Control of Dogs Acts, dog wardens have the power to seize any dog and detain it in order to ascertain whether an offence under the Act is being or has been committed and may enter any premises (other than a dwelling) for the purposes of such seizure and detention.

Under Section 15 of the Control of Dogs Act, every local authority shall establish and maintain one or more shelters for dogs seized or detained under any of the provisions of the Act.

Under the existing provisions of the Control of Dogs Act, a dog warden can make a complaint to the District Court that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control. Where the District Court determines the dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control, the Court may, in addition to any other penalty which it may impose, order that the dog be kept under proper control or be destroyed. It is a matter for the Court to determine who is liable for costs. In such cases, the owner can appeal a decision of the District Court.