Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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703. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of inspections carried out on dog breeding establishments in each of the past five years; the number of enforcement actions taken; and his assessment of whether current penalties are sufficient to deter non-compliance. [65390/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Inspections of dog breeding establishments are carried out by ex local authority veterinarians who transferred to my Department in January of this year, as well as by local authority dog wardens.

All registered dog breeding establishments must undergo an annual inspection. My Department does not hold information on the number of inspections carried out by the Dog Warden Service or the number of inspections carried out prior to January 2025. This information can be requested from the local authorities directly.

Provisional figures show that my Department has carried out over 120 inspections on dog breeding establishments on behalf of local authorities up to Q3 in 2025. Of these, 84 inspections were unannounced.

In relation to the number of enforcement actions taken, local authorities are responsible for enforcement matters under the Dog Breeding Establishment Act. Penalties for non-compliance are determined by the courts on a case by case basis when prosecutions are brought forward by local authorities.