The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary has said that his department is fully committed to progressing an enhanced approach on dog control issues.

In a parliamentary question, Sinn Féin TD, Ruairí O'Murchú asked Minister Calleary to provide an update on the work of the stakeholder group on dog control.

Minister Calleary said: "A high level stakeholder group was established in 2024 to consider policy and legislative matters currently under the remit of my department.

"The stakeholder group’s remit includes considering the need for legislative change. This requires in-depth analysis and consultation to ensure amendments are not just robust, fit for purpose, and implementable, but that they also deliver the best outcomes for communities and for dogs themselves.

According to the minister, three sub-groups of the stakeholder group have been established to focus on specific areas relating to dog control and welfare.

The sub-groups are focusing on dog breeding establishments, training and education, and traceability.

Minister Calleary said that the groups have met three times so far, and will work with the main stakeholder group to recommend areas of improvement for dog control and welfare.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are considering how best to achieve centralised access dog microchip numbers, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

In response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD, Maeve O'Connell, the minister explained that all dogs over 12 weeks-of-age, or younger if sold before 12 weeks, must be microchipped, and the microchip number must be registered.

He said: "Animal welfare officers are authorised to obtain information from the approved databases in relation to individual microchips

According to the minister, DAFM are examining a number of options to select what best improves dog welfare and public safety.