Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
1251. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to standardise the information recorded on dog microchip databases and to provide a centralised portal to quickly access information on all four microchipping databases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54190/22]
View answerEvery dog must be microchipped in accordance with the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015. To ensure standardisation of information, Section 5 of the Act sets out the required data that is to be entered on a dog identification database.
My Department has regular engagement with the four authorised operators to remind them of their obligations under the Act.
Currently database operators do not provide data directly to my Department and no central database is maintained within my Department. All of these companies however provide details of the chips they hold to Europetnet, an umbrella group of national and local associations based across Europe which register owner information about pets that have been uniquely identified. This directs Dog Wardens or other such persons who have scanned a dog to the appropriate database to identify the dog owner.
My Department continues to keep both policy and legislation under constant review including the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015 with a view to further improving practices and procedures.
