Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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699. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a full review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 and the 2018 guidelines will be completed; the scope of that review; and the steps being taken to strengthen enforcement and improve welfare standards for breeding dogs. [65386/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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700. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current resourcing allocated to local authorities for inspections of dog breeding establishments; whether he is satisfied that staffing levels are adequate; and if he will consider increasing funding to ensure consistent compliance and enforcement across all counties. [65387/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 699 and 700 together.

On 1 August 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act (2010) transferred to my Department. Local authorities retain responsibility for all operational and enforcement matters. Inspections of dog breeding establishments are carried out by my Department and by local authority dog wardens.

A high-level Dog Control Stakeholder Group was established last year to consider policy and legislative matters, specifically the Dog Control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The 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 group. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter in due course.

In July 2024, funding of €2 million was announced for local authorities to support the resourcing of dog warden services in 2025. The funding is intended as a support for the hiring of up to 40 additional dog wardens and does not necessarily provide the full cost of employment. I can confirm that the funding of €2 million to support the resourcing of dog wardens is available for 2026.

On 19 November I launched a six-week public consultation process that will run up to 2 January 2026, inviting views to inform development of a new Animal Welfare Strategy for my Department for the period 2026 to 2030. I encourage and welcome the public and all interested stakeholders, including farming interests and animal welfare groups to provide feedback, comment and make recommendations to my Department with respect to the new Animal Health and Welfare Strategy that will be launched next year.

Those wishing to contribute in response to this public consultation should send feedback or submissions to animalwelfareconsultation@agriculture.gov.ie or in hard copy to Public Consultation Feedback, Animal Welfare Division, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Kildare St, Dublin 2, D02WK12

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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701. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a central, publicly accessible database recording all individuals or entities breeding or selling puppies; the expected timeline for this measure; and the way in which it will be enforced. [65388/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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702. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions being taken to improve public awareness of the way to identify licensed breeders; the way in which to report suspected illegal breeding activity; and whether his Department plans a national information campaign. [65389/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 702 and 701 together.

On 1 August 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for dog breeding establishments transferred to my Department.

Under the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010, local authorities are required to maintain and publish a list of Dog Breeding Establishment in their administrative area. My Department collates this information in to a national register available at gov.ie

Local authorities retain responsibility for all operational and enforcement matters. Inspections of dog breeding establishments are carried out by my Department and by local authority dog wardens.

In March 2024, the Dog Control Stakeholder Group was established the to review the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act.

The group's remit includes considering the need for legislative change. Three sub-groups of the stakeholder group were established to focus on specific areas relating to dog control and welfare, namely dog breeding establishments; training and education; and traceability. These sub-groups work with the main stakeholder group and will recommend areas of improvement in the dog control and welfare environment. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter in the relatively near term once they have considered all issues arising.

In relation to the sale or supply of animals, my Department introduced the Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pet Animals) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 681/2019). These Regulations put into law certain requirements for sellers and suppliers of pet animals, including the requirement for registering with my Department and agreeing to have certain records available to the public. This information is available at gov.ie .

My Department liaises with online platforms that sell pets, reminding them of the obligations in relation to the regulations surrounding pet sales. Any pet sales advertisements that are reported to my Department for potential breaches of the legislation are investigated by my Department, local authorities and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals {NSPCA). Where breaches of the regulations are found, advertisements are removed, and the owners are then investigated through the relevant channels.

Suspected breeches of the Sale and Supply Regulations can be reported to PetSalesRegister@agriculture.gov.ie.

In terms of illegal breeding activity, unregistered dog breeding establishments can be reported to the relevant local authority

My Department operates a confidential animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation. The dedicated email address and helpline in place for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare are:

Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379.

Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie