Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 February 2021
284. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actions taken by his Department and his predecessor in relation to 2018 whistleblowing reports of euthanasia being carried out by a controlled drug at a dog pound (details supplied); and the structures put in place to prevent future replication of same. [9416/21]
View answer318. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps taken regarding a complaint made to his Department by way of a protected disclosure over three years ago and reported recently in the media relating to a dog pound (details supplied); if his Department contacted the four Dublin local authorities that use the pound regarding this matter; if so, the actions that were taken at the time by the local authorities on the subject matter of the protected disclosure; the actions he plans to take on the continued use of the pound by the four Dublin local authorities following the protected disclosure given the ongoing public concern regarding animal welfare issues there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9956/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 318 together.
I trust the Deputies will appreciate that given my obligations under Section 16 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 to protect the identity of a person who has made a disclosure, as well as the rights of individuals named in a protected disclosure, I am unable to provide details of any particular protected disclosure. Any communication by my Department regarding a protected disclosure is directed to the discloser.
I would also point out that the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 place statutory responsibility for dog control and licensing services on local authorities. The implementation of these Acts is vested in local authorities who have power to appoint dog wardens, to provide shelters for stray and other dogs, to impose on-the-spot fines for a number of offences and to take prosecutions. The Control of Dogs Acts is the policy responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, while animal welfare matters are the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
