Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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705. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details on supports available to rescue organisations caring for dogs seized from illegal breeding operations, including veterinary and behavioural rehabilitation costs. [65392/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. I would like to acknowledge the important work carried out, often in very challenging circumstances, by animal welfare organisations and their dedicated volunteers and staff across Ireland. Animal welfare charities play a crucial role in helping and rehabilitating animals in need, educating people, and raising public awareness about improving animal welfare.

Each year my Department invites eligible animal welfare charities to submit a funding application through the Animal Welfare Grants Programme. To qualify, applicants must meet specified requirements, detailed in the application process, with awards made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis.

Last year €6 million of funding was provided to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide, through the animal welfare grant programme to assist them. These awards also support the provision of education and knowledge sharing to the public on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, helping to raise animal welfare standards.

The 2025 Animal Welfare Grants Programme is underway, with applications currently under assessment by my Department and I expect to announce the results of the application process in December.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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706. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish an updated national animal welfare strategy, including specific commitments on dog breeding, enforcement, inspection standards and public education. [65393/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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 new Animal Welfare Strategy that will be launched next year.

Earlier this year, responsibility for all policy and legislation in relation to the Control of Dogs Act, 1986 and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, 2010 transferred to my Department.

In March 2024, the then Minister for Rural and Community Development established the Dog Control Stakeholder Group to review the Control of Dogs Act 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 that amendments are not just robust, fit for purpose and implementable, but that they also deliver the best outcomes for communities.

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.

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

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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707. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on TB testing for animals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65426/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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There are two official tests for Bovine TB (bTB), the skin test and the gamma interferon blood test. While the specificity of the skin test is very high, (meaning it produces very few false positives), the sensitivity (the ability to detect truly infected cattle) is no more than 80%. In contrast, the blood test has a better sensitivity but lesser specificity.

Within the bovine TB eradication programme, blood testing is used primarily to augment the sensitivity of the skin test, to detect TB infected cattle which the skin test failed to detect, and to detect animals at an earlier stage in the disease process. The routine blood testing of animals already confirmed as reactors following a skin test would be of no benefit. The objective of deploying the blood test is to detect infection earlier, so that infected cattle can be removed quicker thereby shortening bTB breakdowns and reducing the risk of breakdown recurrence. This has the effect of lessening the impact of TB on farmers and their families.