Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 November 2023
157. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development what appointment procedure she is using for the new stakeholder group on dog ownership in Ireland; and the measures she is putting in place to ensure that members of the group will include expertise in canine behaviour. [50064/23]
View answerIn late 2022, Minister Mc Conalogue was tasked by the then Taoiseach, now Tánaiste Micheál Martin to lead a cross-government review of legislation regarding dogs. I met with Minister Mc Conalogue on Monday 9th January and we requested officials to convene a working group on the control of dogs’ issue. This group, which was chaired by DAFM, produced a report in March. I was pleased to recently announce significant progress in the implementation of recommendations assigned to my Department.
On 9th November, I signed Statutory Instrument 540 of 2023 to increase on-the-spot fines for offences under the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014, including introducing a graduated fine system, and trebling fines for serious offences from €100 to €300.
I also announced the establishment of a high-level stakeholder group to provide a forum for stakeholder organisations to express their views on issues and possible solutions related to dog control issues. The issue of restricted dog breeds and possible amendments or changes to the current arrangements will be discussed by this group, in order to inform policy development in this area.
The group will be independently chaired and encompass a broad range of sectoral interests and expertise. Details of the membership and terms of reference will be made available on Gov.ie subject to agreement by the chair and the group in due course.
In addition to these measures, I also announced €2 million in capital funding to support Local Authority Dog Control Services and assist them in meeting increased demands on their services.
