Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 May 2022
746. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total number of dog breeders who have registered under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 in each of the years 2010 to date in 2022, in tabular form; the way that her Department is actively monitoring and pursuing illegal puppy farms within the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26431/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has overall policy responsibility for the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. The Act provides a robust regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare, for the closure of such establishments.
Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, 2010, local authorities are responsible for all operational activities such as the registration, inspection and regulation of Dog Breeding Establishments, including enforcement activities. It is the responsibility of each local authority to maintain the register of dog breeding establishments in its functional area. The Act also places an obligation on any person seeking to operate a dog breeding establishment to have the premises included on the register.
The Act also provides for the closure of unregistered dog breeding establishments. While local authorities are responsible for monitoring and pursuing unregistered dog breeding establishments, I understand that they use various investigative techniques, including following up on information received from the public, to do this.
Each year my Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities, including those relating to dog breeding establishments. This information is collated from annual returns received from all local authorities. Information up to and including 2020, by local authority and in tabular form, is available at www.gov.ie/en/collection/879d4c-dog-control-statistics/.
For example, information regarding dog breeding establishments can be found on pages 12-14 of the 2020 dog control statistics, with page 14, which is a summary page, outlining that 239 dog breeding establishments were registered with the local authorities in 2020. This figure includes 83 Commercial Dog Breeding Establishments (CDBEs), 85 Hunts Clubs and 49 Commercial Boarding Kennels (CBKs). The remainder of the 239 total comprises Animal Welfare Shelters (18) and training kennels (4). The 2021 dog control statistics are currently being collated and when checked and verified will be published on gov.ie later this year.
Separately, the enforcement of animal welfare standards for all animals, including dogs in dog breeding establishments, is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) under the Animal Health and Welfare Acts.
Both Departments work closely with each other to ensure a coordinated approach is taken in this area.
