Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss online sale of pets, and dog breeding and microchipping

The meeting at 5.30pm in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be split into two sessions to hear from:

5.30pm-7pm – Regulations and Verification systems of online sales of Pets, with representatives of Fido.ie and Dogs.ie.

7pm-8.30pm – Canine Welfare including Artificial Canine Insemination, Canine Fertility Clinics, Ear Cropping and Microchipping (resumed), with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and representatives of the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI).

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Jackie Cahill said: “Concerns around the sale of pets online resulted in the introduction of the Sale or Supply of Pet Animals Regulations in 2019 which were designed to regulate these sales. The Committee welcomes this opportunity to discuss the operation of these regulations and the introduction of a verification system for pets for sale with the representatives of Fido.ie, which operates an online database of microchipped dogs and their owners in Ireland, and Dogs.ie, an online classified ads marketplace for dogs for sale and dogs for stud.

“In our second session, the Committee will resume discussions in relation to the implementation of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, with a particular focus on canine welfare, artificial insemination, canine fertility clinics, ear cropping and microchipping. We look forward to hearing the views of the Department and the VCI on these important matters.”

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.