Clare Daly
Question:422. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role his Department will take to work with UK authorities to prevent the illegal cross-border trade of puppies. [8745/18]
View answerTuesday, 20 February 2018
Questions (422)
Written answers
Trade within the EU of dogs is governed by EU law. Dogs moved to another EU Member State from Ireland must be accompanied by an EU pet passport and a health certificate issued by a Department veterinarian, be microchipped and have a valid rabies vaccination. Before travel, dogs must undergo a clinical examination by an authorised veterinarian, who must verify that the animals show no obvious signs of disease and are fit to be transported.
The premises exporting dogs to the other EU Member States must be registered with my Department in advance of the export.
These procedures ensure that only healthy dogs, over the age of 15 weeks, are allowed to be exported.
Exporters must also comply with national and EU law on the protection of animals during transport, while the transport of animals by air is also governed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Information about any breaches of these regulations can be provided to my Department, which will treat any information received in the strictest of confidence.
The vast majority of dogs that are moved from Ireland go to the UK (of the 12,898 dogs exported to the EU in 2017; 10,560 were exported to the UK). The Department carries out unannounced checks at our ports and will continue to do so.
My Department and the UK authorities work together on areas of common interest and have agreed to keep canine exports on the agenda.