I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2025 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to facilitate appropriate consideration of ongoing and relevant deliberative processes in the areas of animal welfare generally and dog control, welfare and breeding policy specifically.". I thank Deputy Whitmore for bringing this Private Members' Bill before the Dáil. As an avid animal lover, I agree with a lot of what is in her Bill. I hope we can work together to implement it. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, has asked me to relay his apologies for being unable to be here this morning, and to clearly state that the area of animal welfare broadly, as well as that of dogs specifically, is of utmost importance to both him and his Department. On behalf of the Minister and the Government, I am putting forward a 12-month timed amendment to the Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill, a Private Members' Bill, the reasons for which I will outline. The Government fully recognises the significance of this policy area. The timed amendment allows time for the deliberative processes relevant to the area we are discussing, and that are already in train, to reach their conclusion. The Minister is confident these processes will come to a landing zone that will be well aligned with many of the principles of this Private Members' Bill, as introduced and clearly and passionately articulated by Deputy Whitmore. Before I reference those processes, I will provide some background information and context with respect to the issues at hand. Deputies will be aware it was a programme for Government commitment that the somewhat disjointed approach to dog control issues be addressed by ensuring all legislation and policy in relation to the control of dogs, dog welfare and dog breeding establishments rest with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In this respect, it is positive to be able to report and confirm that policy responsibility for dog control was transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with effect from 1 June 2025, and for dog breeding establishments on 1 August 2025. It is important to note that local authorities retain responsibility for all operational and enforcement matters. They have the power to appoint dog wardens, provide dog shelters, seize dogs, impose on-the-spot fines and take court proceedings against owners. The Government's commitment to this area is exemplified by the enhanced funding across a number of streams. The Minister asked me to reference near-term funding initiatives in the animal welfare space, including the provision of the now annual tranche of funding to qualifying animal welfare charities, which include several dog charities. Furthermore, the Minister was also pleased to recently confirm that local authorities will continue to be resourced into next year, to the tune of €2 million overall, with respect to the retention or appointment of additional dog wardens in 2026. Coming back to the proposed 12-month timed amendment to Deputy Whitmore's Bill, the rationale for this is to allow for sufficient time for the Minister and his Department to consider the outcomes with respect to two deliberative processes that are ongoing in this area, both of which will inform policy and legislative considerations from public, stakeholder and expert perspectives. The first is a public consultation process, which is ongoing, to inform consideration of the next Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine animal welfare strategy for the period 2026 to 2030. At the launch of that public consultation last month, the Minister indicated that animal welfare is a topic of enormous and growing importance, both to farmers and to the broader public in respect of how society values and treats all animals, including dogs. He went on to say that as the bar in respect of animal welfare continues to rise, he wants to hear opinions and how his Department's next animal welfare strategy can put Ireland on a best-in-class footing with comparator countries, while maintaining the progress, as evidenced by our achievements to date. Moving on from the second deliberative process, the Minister asked me to highlight, with respect to the policy specifically on dog control and breeding, that a high-level dog control stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider policy and legislative matters in dog control, breeding and welfare areas, which includes consideration of legislative provisions under the dog control Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The report and recommendations of the dog control stakeholder group are anticipated in early 2026. The Minister is awaiting the deliberations, report and recommendations of the group, which has been meeting quarterly to consider numerous issues in the dog control and breeding space, including, but not limited to, legislative change. The Bill set out by Deputy Whitmore focuses on the specific aspects of policy that have formed part of the deliberations of the dog-control stakeholders group, and in particular the work of one of the sub-groups which, as part of the process, has spent significant time specifically focusing on dog-breeding establishments. The Minister hopes and trusts that Deputy Whitmore will accept his modus operandi when he asked me to relay that this timed amendment put forward by the Government is less about the merits or demerits of her Private Member's Bill, as proposed, and more about the Minister acting in the future upon processes that this and previous Governments set in train. The Minister has indicated he is very happy to consider the need for legislative change in this space and will engage proactively with all interested parties in doing so. I want to compliment Deputy Whitmore. I heard her outlining the purpose of her Bill on "Morning Ireland" this morning. She has a lot of support on this side of the House. I am an avid dog lover myself. I take in rescue dogs. In the little area where I live, there are more dogs than people. I know Deputy Whitmore is very passionate about this, and I know her party is very passionate about it. It is an area that has to be addressed, and it has to be addressed soon. I know the Deputy is anxious that something be brought forward before the 12-month period. We will push to do that, but I will ask that the officials meet with Deputy Whitmore and brief her on where everything is at and make sure she is consistently contacted and kept informed on what is happening. I would like us to work together. I know the Deputy is very passionate about reducing the time. I cannot give a commitment on that now, but I will ask the officials to meet with her and see if we can reduce the timeframe on that. I will get back to her on that. If I can get back to her before 12 noon, I will. I thank the Deputy for bringing this Bill forward; it is a very important one. I hope the House and the Government will be able to bring something forward fairly soon.

Sentiment score: 0.38

I will try to bring it back.

Sentiment score: 0.00

The delay would be for nine months.

Sentiment score: -0.32