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Domestic Pets

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Questions (888, 889, 890, 897)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

888. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of infringement orders taken to date under the sale or supply of pets regulations 2019. [36556/20]

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Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

889. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional resources allocated for the enforcement of the sale or supply of pets regulations that came into effect on 1 February 2020; and if he or his Department has held meetings with the online platforms since their introduction. [36557/20]

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Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

890. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on the establishment of a central GDPR-compliant database to collate the registration numbers of sellers or suppliers of dogs, the dog breeding establishment licence numbers and the unique microchip identifier assigned to dogs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36558/20]

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Paul Donnelly

Question:

897. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the provisions in the sale of pets regulations 2019 that prevent the use of third-party sellers; the resources he has put in place to ensure that the regulations are being enforced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36810/20]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 888 to 890, inclusive, and 897 together.

The safety and welfare of pet animals was one of the concerns behind the introduction by my Department of regulations on the sale and supply of pet animals last year, and which came into effect in February of this year. These Regulations were welcomed by the ISPCA and other welfare organisations, and put into law certain requirements for sellers and suppliers of pet animals, including minimum ages for sale of certain mammals; record-keeping; registration with the Department; and provision of certain information about the pet in advertisements.

Under the Regulations, anyone who sells or supplies six or more pet animals in a calendar year (this includes third-party sellers) must register with the Department, unless they are subject to the requirement to register with their local authority under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. The Department is actively considering the issue of publication of the register, but must ensure that such is compliant with all data protection regulations.

The Dog Breeding Establishments Act falls under the remit of the Minister for Rural and Community Development. In relation to registered microchips, under the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015, four companies are authorised by my Department to register owner details of dog microchips, and there is no central database. These companies provide details of the chips they hold to Europetnet which is a group of national and local associations throughout Europe that register owner information about pets that have been uniquely identified. Certain persons such as dog wardens and those who microchip dogs have access through this portal to the databases to enable the identification of microchipped dogs.

There is further work to be done on effective enforcement of the Regulations and no infringement orders have been taken to date. However, the requirement to include certain information about a pet animal in an advertisement will assist potential pet owners in deciding the appropriate seller with whom to engage. Potential pet owners should carefully conduct comprehensive research before acquiring a pet.

My Department participates in the Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group (IPAAG), a group formed in 2015 by a number of animal welfare organisations, veterinary professionals and classified advertising websites to address irresponsible advertising of pets online. Officials of my Department have engaged and will continue to engage constructively with members of IPAAG, on the issue of online advertising and enforcement of the new Regulations. IPAAG has published practical, comprehensive advice on their website for anyone thinking of acquiring a pet, including what to check for in advertisements for pet animals. The sale and purchase of a pet is a commercial transaction between a seller and a buyer.

Any evidence of animal cruelty or neglect of an animal’s welfare should be brought to the attention of my Department by calling the animal welfare helpline on 0761064408 (Call Save) or 01 6072379 or by emailing animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie. All such reports are followed up on. This Government is committed to advancing animal welfare. In December 2019, my Department provided record funding awards of €2,906,000 to 106 animal welfare organisations, in recognition of their good work.

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