Animal Welfare
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-14
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Martin Heydon (FG), Kildare South

I thank the Deputy for raising a really important issue which we all take really seriously. Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. My Department has lead policy responsibility within Government for animal welfare and we take it really seriously. I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner and remain committed to the continued robust enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare. My Department keeps the Act under review in light of key developments in the areas of animal welfare, the law and having regard to the practical lessons learned from operating the Act.
Responsibility for all policy and legislation in relation to the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 transferred to my Department on 1 June 2025 and 1 August 2025, respectively. This fulfilled a programme for Government commitment, on which I was part of the negotiating team. I was keen that we would get a more consolidated approach to this area. It was to bring a coherent approach to dog control issues by ensuring all legislation and policy in relation to the control of dogs, dog welfare and dog breeding establishments rested with my Department.
Local authorities retain responsibility for operational and enforcement matters. Inspections of dog breeding establishments are carried out by dog wardens and by my Department.
With the transfer of functions, I took over responsibility for the dog control stakeholder group, which Deputy Ó Muirí highlighted. It was established by the then Minister for Rural and Community Development in March 2024 to review the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. Its remit is to consider policy and legislative matters in relation to those Acts, including any need for legislative change. The stakeholder group comprises members with a broad range of expertise, including academics, veterinary surgeons, local authorities, farming interests, charities working in the field and animal welfare experts. I expect to receive the report from the group shortly.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:56+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-14