I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 to 373 inclusive together.
The number of dogs humanely destroyed in 2003 is set out by local authority area in the following table. Under the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1982, county councils and city councils are responsible for operating dog control and licensing services. The legislation requires local authorities to appoint dog wardens and to arrange for the provision of shelters for stray and unwanted dogs. The proceeds from the sale of licences, less the commission charged by an Post, are available to local authorities to fund, or to assist in funding, their dog control services. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the level of additional resources, if any, to be applied to these services.
Section 11 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 provides that if a seized dog has not been returned to its owner after five days, it may be disposed of or destroyed in a humane manner. There is no information available to my Department regarding the costs of destroying dogs or the cost of keeping the dogs prior to their disposal or destruction. My Department has no funding line for the provision of shelters for stray dogs and, therefore, no grants were allocated or paid in 2003. However, I understand that the Department of Agriculture and Food provided funding in 2003 to voluntary organisations dealing with animal welfare.
Certain provisions of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 may be extended, by regulations, to other species of domesticated animals, including cats. In the absence of reliable data regarding the number of feral cats, and of appropriate solutions, it is not proposed to place an additional responsibility on local authorities that might dilute their control efforts in relation to dangerous and stray dogs which are generally viewed as presenting greater problems than feral cats. There are no EU regulations governing the provision of dog shelters.
County Council and City Council
|
Number of Dogs Humanely Destroyed
|
Carlow
|
67
|
Cavan
|
442
|
Clare
|
1,401
|
Cork City
|
230
|
Cork County
|
923
|
Donegal
|
997
|
Dublin City
|
974
|
South Dublin
|
960
|
Fingal
|
468
|
Dún Laoghaire/ Rathdown
|
361
|
Galway City
|
208
|
Galway County
|
453
|
Kerry
|
1,403
|
Kildare
|
247
|
Kilkenny
|
95
|
Laois
|
232
|
Leitrim
|
88
|
Limerick City
|
546
|
Limerick County
|
1,382
|
Longford
|
490
|
Louth
|
547
|
Mayo
|
366
|
Meath
|
262
|
Monaghan
|
351
|
Offaly
|
305
|
Roscommon
|
237
|
Sligo
|
242
|
Tipperary N.R.
|
421
|
Tipperary S.R.
|
862
|
Waterford City and County
|
242
|
Westmeath
|
519
|
Wexford
|
1,158
|
Wicklow
|
216
|
TOTAL
|
17,695
|