I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising this important matter. I thank her for facilitating it being moved to today so that I could take it myself, which I wanted to do. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, for having taken the Bill in my absence the last time it was discussed. Animal welfare in general comes under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine but, as the Deputy will be aware, it was a key commitment in the programme for Government to have a joined-up approach to dog control issues, something I fought for and advocated for during the negotiations on the programme for Government. This was to ensure that we would have that joined-up approach to dog control issues, legislative and policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act and have that transferred from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to my Department. That happened on 1 June 2025 and 1 August 2025, respectively. Regarding dog welfare, the dog control stakeholder group was established in 2024 with a remit to consider policy and legislative matters, specifically the dog control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act and consider any need for legislative change. Three sub-groups of a stakeholder group were established to focus on specific areas relating to dog control and welfare. I expect a report to be submitted to me from that group very shortly. In the interim, I have been working on reviewing all of the legislative enforcement and engagement issues relating to the control of dogs. I intend to bring forward specific legislation in relation to dog breeding establishments very shortly, which will then go through the full rigours of the legislative process here, as committed to. The Dog Breeding Establishments Act, as it exists, provides a robust regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare for the closure of such establishments. Dog breeding establishments guidelines were establishment under section 15(4) of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 following a public consultation process in 2018. It came into effect on 1 January 2019. These guidelines aim to provide for welfare of dogs and pups, provide clarity on socialisation of pups, and accurate record-keeping. It stipulates staff to animal ratios and allows for unannounced inspections by local veterinary services and beyond. The guidelines are published and are available on my Department's website. It is important to note that dog breeding establishments must comply with the relevant health and safety legislation. Dog breeding establishments must also comply with relevant animal welfare legislation such as the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 local authorities are required to maintain and publish lists of dog breeding establishments and my Department collates this information to form a national dog breeding establishment register. However, as the Deputy outlined today and previously, the practices that are happening at present in this space are unsatisfactory. I share the Deputy's determination to bring about a change here. It was why in the negotiations for the programme for Government I wanted whoever was Minister in this position now to have the ability to bring those together and I am delighted I have the opportunity to do that and to work with colleagues in the House, including Deputy Whitmore. I was a member of the joint Oireachtas committee on agriculture from 2011 to 2016 when the then Minister, Simon Coveney, brought in a consolidated animal welfare Act. However, we always have to strive to do better and keep a very close eye on what the practices of the day are. Deputy Whitmore has outlined some really concerning practices that are of grave concern to me. The stakeholder group has done a huge body of work. I hope we can get its report very soon because I do not want to act in advance of that but I am really keen to move here. I agreed to the timed amendment to Deputy Whitmore's Bill on the basis that there were a few elements of it I wanted to work through on my side but I believe we are both trying to achieve the same thing. There are some constraints I would be happy to discuss with the Deputy in the House and on Committee Stage as well as we work through what is possible legislatively and legally and what is not. I have a clear determination in this space. I hope to bring forward legislation very soon this year and to be able to work through that legislative process on reform.

Sentiment score: 0.25

In trying to prepare for this debate, I was not sure which element of horse welfare and dog welfare the Deputy would raise. I will amend what I will say on the basis of the targeted nature of her question. We have done a lot in the area of equine control and supporting equine charities and animal welfare charities in general in terms of the work I do in my Department as well as on supporting the different elements. We have a number of urban horse projects and so on and they are really positive. From 2015 to date, we have spent about €2.1 million on urban horse projects, and €170,000 was allocated for these projects in 2026. My Department would welcome submissions from local authorities on other projects. The Deputy specifically mentioned sulky racing, which I have huge concern about. It is important to say that responsibility for animal welfare rests with the owner of the animal and the person whose care the animal is in. Sulky racing on roads comes under the Department of Transport and, as the Deputy said, the Garda Síochána as well. My Department does work in the area of enforcement. We have the legislation around harness racing on roads. We have to be able to identify the organiser and that is difficult to do in many instances. It is the organiser who is liable in that regard. I am having engagement with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, while also looking at it from the justice side as well because I am deeply uncomfortable with the images we have seen on our motorways, which are completely unacceptable. It is lawlessness. It is not appropriate behaviour. From an animal welfare perspective, it is absolutely terrible. It is also a road safety issue on many fronts. It is something that is not acceptable to me and something I hope, through working with colleagues in government, we can have further action on.

Sentiment score: 0.14