Animal Breeding
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Niall Collins (FF), Limerick County

I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising the issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Heydon. I will convey to him her disappointment at the lack of engagement that she pointed out.
Reform of legislation governing dog welfare is a key priority for the Government.
In order to bring a coherent approach to dog control, policy and legislative responsibility under both the Control of Dogs Act 1986 and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 transferred to our Department last year. In both cases, local authorities retain responsibility for operational and enforcement matters.
In relation to dog breeding establishments, I am pleased to confirm that the dog breeding establishments (amendment) Bill 2026 is being actively progressed. The Bill has 17 heads and addresses three core areas: welfare and breeding standards, sales and record keeping, and administration and enforcement.
On welfare and breeding standards, the Bill will place enhanced duties on operators covering the socialisation and habituation of dogs so that female breeding dogs and pups receive the exercise and social interaction that are so important to their well-being. It will introduce a four-litter lifetime limit, extendable to six litters only with veterinary certification, and a cap of one litter per year, giving female breeding dogs rest and recovery between litters. The Bill will also introduce new minimum and maximum breeding age limits, prohibit the mating of female breeding dogs that have had two caesarean sections and impose a ban on inbreeding, addressing a practice associated with severe health problems for dogs and pups. A mandatory minimum staffing ratio of one full-time equivalent staff member per 20 female breeding dogs will also be placed on a statutory footing, ensuring animals receive proper daily care and attention, with a two-year transition period to allow operators to adjust in a timely and responsible manner.
On sales, the Bill will ban third-party sales from dog breeding establishments. It will be unlawful for operators to sell dogs under eight weeks of age or to sell them from any premises other than where they were born and reared. Prior to any sale, prospective buyers must be shown the pup’s biological mother on site. Dog breeding establishments must notify local authorities of all sales of pups from their premises.
On administration and enforcement, authorised persons will be granted new powers to seize and detain dogs where it is reasonably suspected that an offence has been committed. Penalties for the most serious offences will be significantly increased to a fine of up to €250,000, five years' imprisonment or both. This will bring the sanctions under the 2010 Act in line with those available under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
At present, the Minister has not included a hard legislative cap on the total number of female breeding dogs at a dog breeding establishment in the general scheme of the Bill. Legal advice indicates that there are difficulties with such an approach. There are also practical issues that would have to be explored further. The Minister is considering the matter. The Bill addresses concerns about excessive numbers through other means. The mandatory staffing ratio of 1:20 creates an indirect but real constraint on establishment size. The strengthened and improved notice regime will explicitly empower authorised persons to require a reduction in the number of dogs on premises where welfare concerns arise. Local authorities also retain the ability to set conditions on the number of breeding females as part of the registration process. This avenue remains open to them, particularly in respect of new applications.
The Minister hopes to bring forward this legislation as soon as possible. He looks forward to working with Deputies and Senators across the Houses on this important issue.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09