Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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458. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the work of the Dog Control Stakeholder Group as the Group announced an intention to produce an interim report in Q1 2025 before producing a final report in Q4 2025. [31658/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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In March 2024, the then Minister for Rural and Community Development established the Dog Control stakeholder group to review the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The stakeholder group's remit includes considering the need for legislative change. This requires in-depth analysis and consultation to ensure amendments are not just robust, fit for purpose and implementable but that they also deliver the best outcomes for communities and for dogs themselves.

Three sub-groups of the stakeholder group have been established to date to focus on specific areas relating to dog control and welfare.

The sub-groups are up and running, and will report back to the main stakeholder group with their interim reports, which will feed into the final report, which is expected in Q4 2025.

The work of the Dog Control stakeholder group is complex in nature, requiring full consideration of all aspects of the relevant legislation, and this will take some time. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter as soon as possible once they have considered all issues arising, and I look forward to receiving the recommendations of the group.