Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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985. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a timeline for the transfer of policy and legislative responsibility in relation to the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010 to his Department; if there are any existing plans to enact any policy or legislative changes in respect of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49136/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Policy and Legislative responsibility for Dog control transferred to my Department from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht on 1 June 2025 and for Dog breeding establishments (DBE) on 1 August 2025. Local authorities retain responsibility for all operational, implementation and enforcement matters.

A high-level stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider policy and legislative matters, specifically the Dog Control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The stakeholder group’s remit includes considering the need for legislative change. I am committed to reviewing all legislation relating to dogs and in this regard will be guided by the recommendations of the Dog Control Stakeholder Group. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter in due course. In the meantime, I am fully committed to progressing the work in this area.