Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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163. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide data on inspections at and enforcement actions taken against dog breeding establishments in the past 12-months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65977/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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.

Inspections of dog breeding establishments are carried out by my Department and 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.