Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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2205. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on ongoing legislative work relating to dog welfare and control; and the timeline for when this legislation will be ready for scrutiny by the Houses of the Oireachtas. [42940/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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On 1 June 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts transferred to my Department from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG). It must be noted that local authorities retain responsibility for all operational, implementation and enforcement matters under the Acts.

A high level stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider policy and legislative matters currently under the remit of my Department, specifically the Dog Control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act.

The stakeholder group meets on a quarterly basis and the minutes from the previous meetings are published and available online at www.gov.ie/drcd at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development/publications/dog-control-stakeholder-group/.

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.

I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter in due course, and I look forward to receiving the recommendations of the group.

In the meantime, I am fully committed to progressing the work in this area.