Written Answers Nos. 214-232
214. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans, if any, to roll out greater numbers of Irish-language courses in third-level institutions. [26573/24]
View answerHigher Education Institutions (HEIs) are autonomous within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, Technological Universities Act 2018, and Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 -2006. Under this legislation HEIs are academically independent and entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes including the number and type of programmes offered. As such, neither I nor my Department have any role in the matter of programme creation or delivery. It is expected that HEIs periodically review and update their provision offering.
My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA), which in turn disburses this funding as a block grant to designated HEIs. The allocation of this funding, including any expenditure on Irish-language education initiatives, is managed by the individual HEIs.
My Department is committed to implementing the Official Languages Act and providing Irish-language services. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019 is crucial to Ireland and the life of the language in the country. Under Object 8 (b) of the HEA Act 2022, the HEA sponsors the Conradh na Gaeilge initiative, ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’, in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland. This initiative is an Irish language mentoring programme open to all students. Its objectives include building on the development of Irish Language Societies and Officers, developing ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ Awards at third level, awarding a ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’ Certificate for active students, and establishing a training, personal development, and mentoring scheme for ‘Gníomhaí Gaeilge’.
215. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans for inclusion of graduate entry medicine within the free fee's initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26623/24]
View answerGraduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is one of the pathways to study undergraduate medicine. Graduate entry courses require applicants to hold a level 8 qualification prior to entry with the graduate entry medicine degree conferring a further level 8 qualification on the recipient.
As the Deputy will be aware, the free fees initiative (FFI) provides tuition fee funding for eligible first time undergraduate students. Therefore, students pursuing a second level 8 degree course, including graduate entry programmes, are not eligible for the FFI. There are currently no plans to amend the progression rules that apply in the FFI.
In terms of GEM tuition fees, the total level of fees charged to graduate entry medicine students is a matter for each higher education institution, consistent with the principle of their institutional autonomy. However, the State already provides support for broadening access to GEM programmes through the part-subsidy of places for EU students. The fees payable by students, as determined by each higher education institution, are net of the subsidy paid by the State.
The provision of accessible, affordable, high quality tertiary education to all learners, regardless of their background will continue to be a core priority for me and for this Government. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware of my intention to publish an options paper in advance of Budget 2025. This will set out various possible measures to reduce the cost of attending further and higher education for families. It will inform decisions with regard to various options to reduce the cost of education, including those related to fee supports.
216. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if approval can be given to an application made by an organisation (details supplied) in order that the continued good works can continue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26664/24]
View answerMy Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. The programme provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.
Funding of €1m was made available for a Call for Proposals in respect of specific CSP services which issued in March 2023. Interested organisations were requested to submit a concept note as the first step in the application process. The concept note was for potential applicants to express an interest in making a full application for entry to the Community Services Programme.
Pobal, who manage and administer the Programme on behalf of my Department, received 197 concept notes, as a result the CSP call was hugely over-subscribed. Following approval by my Department, thirty three organisations were invited to formally submit an application.
Twenty seven organisations subsequently submitted a full application and on 13th December 2023, 14 new applicants were approved entry to the CSP, supporting 13 manager positions and 23 full time equivalent positions, valued at c. €1m. There are a number of organisations, including the organisation in question, that did not rank in the top 14 and were not approved for entry to the programme in December 2023, due to budgetary restrictions.
Pobal issued a communication to the organisation in question in March of this year, which identified some issues in connection with their application and made recommendations in order to bring their application to a better state of readiness to join the CSP Programme, should additional funding become available.
It was also suggested in that correspondence that the organisation make contact with their Local Development Company or Local Authority who may be able to provide some guidance on other supports available at this time, or with their Local Intreo Office may be able to assist with the possibility of additional staff resources for labour activation programmes such as Community Employment or Tús.
Any decision to bring additional organisations into the Community Services Programme will be subject to available resources.
217. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided by her Department to both Offaly and Laois County Councils from 2019 to date for building acquisition measures to enable the local authorities to purchase buildings that they identified with local groups to convert them into community use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26605/24]
View answerIn 2022, in recognition of the urgent need to transform and regenerate town centres I introduced a new Building Acquisition Measure under the umbrella of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
This new initiative funded local authorities to immediately acquire derelict or vacant buildings in rural towns and villages. A condition of the funding provided was that the buildings must subsequently be developed as a community facility, thus bringing such buildings back into active use and directly addressing the challenges of vacancy and dereliction.
In the first year of the new measure, total funding of €400,00 was made available to each rural local authority to purchase up to two properties. Having seen the success of this approach, in 2023 I increased the available funding to €500,000 to purchase up to 3 properties.
In 20222, 29 properties were purchased by local authorities using this funding, with a further 24 properties purchased in 2023.
I am happy to confirm that these purchases included a range of strategically important buildings in town centres which for various reasons had fallen out of use. These included old schools, courthouses, banks, and cinemas - buildings which quite often were centrally located in towns and villages, thus exacerbating the impact of their vacancy
In Offaly, funding for the purchase of 3 buildings has been provided to date under the Building Acquisition Measure. In Laois, one property has been purchased using this approach, with a further approved application subsequently withdrawn by the local authority.
Indeed the property purchased in Laois is a very good example of how the Building Acquisition Measure works in conjunction with the range of schemes operated by my Department in that the building purchased in Ballyroan has recently been central to the awarding of €500,000 to develop community facilities under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme allocations which I recently announced.
It should be noted, that the Building Acquistion Measure is not the only avenue for local authorities to address issues of vacancy and dereliction, and schemes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration Development Fund will continue to provide funding in this regard, including via the purchase of vacant and derelict buildings.
I remain committed to ensuring that my Department helps to address issues of town regeneration across rural Ireland, in line with the policy objectives set out in the Town Centre First Policy and Our Rural Future.
218. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the progress in relation to Inis Oírr pier; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26563/24]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands.
In July 2023, I gave approval to Galway County Council to issue a request for tender for the development of the Inis Oírr pier. Galway County Council is the contracting authority and is therefore responsible for all aspects of the procurement process.
I understand that a two-stage tender process is currently underway and that Galway County Council have published the Stage 2 tender documents.
I am advised that Galway County Council has extended the closing date for receipt of Stage 2 tender responses by 4 weeks, to mid August.
The assessment and evaluation of all valid tender responses will be carried out by Galway County Council and should take approximately 2 months. Subject to the successful completion of this procurement process, it is expected that a contractor will be appointed later this year.
I can assure the Deputy that I am determined that we maintain the momentum to get this project underway and completed.
219. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to improve services on the islands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26564/24]
View answerThe Our Living Islandspolicy, published by my Department last year, recognises that access between the islands and the mainland is the most fundamental requirement for those living on the islands and is a lifeline for island communities.
My Department currently subsidises 27 passenger, cargo and air services to nineteen of our offshore islands. These services provide reliable, year round mainland connectivity for island communities.
Services are sourced on the open market through public procurement competitions and my Department works consistently to maintain and improve these transport services through the procurement process.
Before the publication of a tender, my Department’s officials engage in a consultation process with the relevant island community regarding the upcoming competition and their feedback is carefully considered while preparing the tender documentation.
Each tender is adapted to the needs of the island in question, and in recent years, some significant changes have been made to tenders due to feedback from island communities.
Following the award of a contract, my officials engage on an ongoing basis with both service operators and island communities to ensure that the service is being delivered as required and to facilitate any discussion that may be necessary. In recent years, as part of these engagements with stakeholders, my Department has received feedback regarding the cost of the carriage of cargo to the islands on subsidised services.
The publication of the Our Living Islands policy was accompanied by an Action Plan for the period 2023-2026, and this plan includes a measure to review the cost of transporting goods on subsidised cargo services for future contracts, with particular emphasis on the carriage of building materials.
My Department will continue to engage and consult with stakeholders in the future regarding transport services to the islands and will continue to facilitate any improvements that can be achieved.
220. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total amount of funding allocated to respective local authorities for all rural schemes provided in her Department, including town and village renewal, CLÁR, LEADER, LIS, outdoor recreation and rural regeneration, by county, in tabular form, since the formation of this Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26658/24]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, represents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the development of rural Ireland. It sets out a range of actions for delivery across Government, and sets the strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. Details in relation to projects awarded funding are regularly published on my Department's website.
The table attached outlines the funds allocated to local authorities since 2020 under rural schemes as requested by the Deputy. Please note that the LEADER programme is administered by Local Action Groups (LAGs), and the figures provided for LEADER are thus provided in respect of the LAGs in each county.
221. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total amount of funding allocated to local authorities for the rural regeneration and development fund; to list towns in each county that have been allocated funding and the project title, since the formation of this Government, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26659/24]
View answerThe Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to State-funded bodies. State-funded bodies are local authorities, Local Development Companies and other State agencies.
To date, 245 projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €577 million. Since the formation of this government, local authority led projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €389 million for 126 projects.
The detail in relation to the projects awarded funding in each county under each funding call is available on my Department’s website at the following link
www.gov.ie/en/publication/7be140-test/
Finally, I intend to open a new call for Category 2 applications under the RRDF in August this year.
222. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which applications have been made under the LEADER programme, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26701/24]
View answerThe LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development, which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities, which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.
The 2014-2022 programme has concluded and as of 31st December 2023, over 5,800 projects with a value in excess of €243 million have been approved for LEADER funding by the Local Action Groups (LAGs). Over 90% of this funding has been paid to the project promoters and the remainder will be drawn down as projects are completed and payment claims submitted.
Details of all projects approved on a county-by-county basis and the funding allocated to them are available on my Department’s website at:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/b849be-local-action-groups-approved-projects-2014-2020/
Now that the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is commencing across the country, Local Action Groups are engaging with communities and raising awareness of the programme with prospective applicants and over the coming months I expect to see many local community projects progress to full application stage.
The thematic focus of the 2023-2027 LEADER programme will be to continue promoting economic development and job creation, to develop rural infrastructure and to support projects in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Over the coming years I look forward to seeing the continued delivery of LEADER projects that support the development of our rural areas and communities.
223. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans for interaction with local community groups dedicated to improving their respective locations in urban and rural areas nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26702/24]
View answer226. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she envisages her Department engaging in a supportive role to communities seeking assistance nationally for the remainder of the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26705/24]
View answer227. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which the various programmes run by her Department have benefited individual rural communities, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26706/24]
View answer228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to interact with urban and rural communities, with a view to identifying ways in which positive interaction can take place, with particular reference to urban and rural isolation and its effect on communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26707/24]
View answer231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the action in hand by her Department to address the issue of rural isolation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26710/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 223, 226, 227, 228 and 231 together.
My Department operates a range of programmes and schemes that support and assist urban and rural community groups throughout the country, benefiting individual communities as well as their broader regions and catchment areas.
Groups and projects supported by my Department deliver on a range of objectives. Some groups and projects work to address societal issues such as isolation and deprivation, while others aim to enhance local lives and livelihoods with material improvements to their areas through local and community development activities. Targeted investments and supports offered by my Department fund a wide range of initiatives that help promote rural regeneration, town and village regeneration, outdoor recreation, regional enterprise growth and, social inclusion.
Capital schemes including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, LEADER, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Local Improvement Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the Community Recognition Fund and the Community Centre Investment Fund are delivering projects throughout the country.
The emphasis of the 2023-2027 LEADER programme, which builds on the many successful previous programmes, will include the continued development of the rural economy. There will also be a strong focus on building the capacity of marginalised and new communities, particularly in areas that have not benefited from LEADER financial support in the past.
Organisations like Men’s Sheds and Women’s Group are vital in addressing isolation for many people. Late last year I was pleased to announce €1 million in funding to Men’s Sheds. Under the initiative, grants of up to €3,000 have been provided to 435 Men’s Sheds across the country.
Earlier this month, I announced funding for almost 500 Women’s Groups nationwide. The funding is being delivered as part of The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2024.
The LEP allocated €6 million in capital supports for community groups and organisations across every county in Ireland, with funding of €1 million being ring-fenced for women’s groups.
I believe that Community Centres are the cornerstone of communities all over Ireland and provide people, young and old, with a place to meet, learn, play and participate with the community as a whole.
Only last Friday I was delighted to announce a further €20 million in funding to support our community groups to upgrade and refurbish the community facilities in their areas. The ‘Community Centre Investment Fund 2024 – Refurbishment’ will provide funding from €10,000 up to a maximum of €100,000 towards capital costs. This allocation brings the total amount of funding announced to support the development of community centres to over €95 million since 2022.
Current funding supports such as the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and the Community Services Programme (CSP) are helping to tackle social exclusion, unemployment, promote social cohesion and support thriving communities.
In relation to isolation and marginalisation, SICAP addresses high and persistent levels of deprivation through targeted and innovative, locally-led approaches in both urban and rural communities. SICAP supports disadvantaged communities and individuals including unemployed people, people living in deprived areas, people with disabilities, single parent families, people on a low income, members of the Traveller and Roma community and other disadvantaged groups. SICAP funding has increased by €8.3 million over 3 years, totalling €51 million in 2024.
Budget 2024 provided my Department with a gross allocation of €431 million. This funding will allow me to maintain the excellent supports in place throughout this year, and to provide some targeted increases.
I will continue to engage with rural and urban stakeholders to identify issues impacting on communities and respond to emerging needs.
I am confident that the funding supports and policies provided by my Department will continue to deliver tangible benefits for both urban and rural communities and I encourage all groups to engage with their local structures like their Local Community Development Committee (LCDCs), their Public Participation Network (PPN), their Local Development Company and to regularly check www.gov.ie/drcd to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
224. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent of library support provisions she expects to be in a position to make nationwide in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26703/24]
View answerThe provision of library services is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. However, investing in our library service is a key priority for me as Minister and this is reflected in the new Public Library Strategy 'The Library is the Place', which I launched in July last year at the official opening of the new Portlaoise library. The strategy recognises that public libraries are at the heart of our communities and my Department provides a wide range of funding to support the library service.
To date in 2024, I have announced a new Libraries Capital Programme, which will support a major investment of €22.6m in 11 state-of-the-art infrastructure projects and a further €2.6m in 12 next generation mobile library vehicles. The previous Libraries Capital Programme invested approximately €29m to support 17 infrastructure projects, the My Open Library service and Small Scale Capital Works programme from 2016 to 2022.
In May of this year I announced Rural Regeneration Development Funding of €164m in funding for 30 regeneration projects in rural towns and villages. This funding will support three projects with a value of over €28m which include library facilities, in Ballyhaunis, Kingscourt and Edenderry. This will bring to €98.8m the total Rural Regeneration Development Funding approved for the development and delivery of library projects across rural Ireland.
My Department will also provide funding of €741,889.88 this year as a contribution to support local authorities in leasing buildings for the provision of public library services.
Last November, I announced funding of €1.3m for the provision of new ICT equipment in public libraries. This investment in 1,685 devices, including PCs, laptops and Apple devices, supports the Public Library Strategy commitment to provide up-to-date ICT infrastructure which makes our public libraries more accessible and digitally inclusive.
In July 2022, I announced funding of over €3.1m to support the provision of the My Open Library service in 17 new branches and the upgrade of the service in 29 existing branches. This investment continues to be rolled out.
225. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she will continues to address issues such as local connectivity in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26704/24]
View answerOne of the key focuses of Our Rural Future, the Government's Rural Development Policy 2021 - 2025, is optimising digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities. I want to close the digital divide between rural and urban communities and ensure that those living in rural communities are provided with the same opportunities as those in larger urban areas. Throughout my tenure as Minister for Rural and Community Development, I have been clear that balanced regional development, sustainable and thriving communities, and indeed the wider national economy will all benefit from workers and employers embracing the remote working revolution.
Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that increased digital connectivity creates and it commits to establishing a comprehensive national network of 400 remote working hubs over the lifetime of the policy. Over recent years, I have made significant funding available to rural communities around the country to support the use of digital connectivity. This funding has been provided through the schemes such as LEADER, Connected Hubs Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. These programmes have been designed to ensure that infrastructure and services are made available to meet the changing needs of our rural communities. These schemes also support job creation and enable people to stay in or return to their communities, which may not have been possible previously. I am determined to see these achievements built on.
Our Rural Future also commits to the rollout of approximately 300 community-based Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) for many of our most remote rural communities. The BCPs are publicly-accessible sites providing free Wi-Fi internet connectivity to remote rural locations, including many of our offshore islands. My Department funds a number of projects which will take advantage of the opportunities that connectivity in BCPs offers, and provide solutions to challenges or address gaps in service that have been identified by the Department, local authority or other stakeholders. Projects in thematic areas such as Remote Working, Digital Skills and Education, eHealth and Arts and Culture have been developed in partnership with key stakeholders and rolled out to suitable BCPs across the network.
The work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce also continues to address the issue of local rural connectivity. In the new Taskforce work programme which will be published shortly on gov.ie there is a priority on progressing the delivery of quality, secure and resilient digital connectivity. This includes actions focused on improving transparency for consumers on services deployed, forecasting of national mobile data traffic volumes and the rollout of a resilient gigabit network across the state.
229. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she plans to further enhance the town and village renewal scheme in order to improve and enhance the standard of living for persons in rural Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26708/24]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, represents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the sustainable development of rural Ireland. It sets out a vision for a thriving rural Ireland, and to that end establishes a strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. The delivery of these actions will enhance the wellbeing and quality of life for people living in our rural towns and villages.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme, introduced in 2016, is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate Ireland's towns and villages. Since the launch of the scheme over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects across Ireland.
As committed to under Our Rural Future and in line with the Town Centre First Policy, scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and to respond to changing needs and opportunities. Amongst other positive impacts, the Scheme has helped bring vacant dwellings back into use as multi-purpose community spaces, improved shopfronts, supported town/village marketing, and enhanced green spaces.
In 2021, I introduced a new Project Development Measure to assist local authorities to contribute to a pipeline of significant, well-developed projects which might be subsequently progressed to construction stage, subject to the availability of further funding. In 2022, in recognition of the urgent need to transform and regenerate town centres I introduced a new Building Acquisition Measure which enabled local authorities to immediately acquire derelict or vacant buildings, with the intention of using these projects for town regeneration purposes and this was continued again in 2023.
The 2023 Scheme had a renewed focus on town centre economic and social vibrancy which includes the development of recreational spaces/amenities in town centres to make them vibrant hubs for community enjoyment and to increase footfall for local businesses. In April of this year I announced funding of €20.4 million for 82 successful project under the scheme.
The 2024 Town and Village Renewal Scheme is scheduled for launch in October of this year, and scheme priorities will again be reviewed in advance to ensure that funding provided will improve and enhance the standard of living for persons in rural Ireland.
230. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the various funding channels open to community and sporting organisations that wish to acquire a defibrillator; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26709/24]
View answerIn supporting community and sporting organisations, some of my Department's programmes fund the purchase of capital equipment which could include the provision of defibrillators.
The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) provides funding to community groups and organisations across Ireland, with a focus on areas of disadvantage. Typical projects funded can include the renovation of community centres, community amenities, disability access projects and purchase of equipment. The purchase of defibrillators has been facilitated under the fund in previous years. The 2024 LEP is now closed and the successful projects can be viewed on the Departments website. The next iteration of the LEP will be considered within the context of the budgetary estimates process later in the year.
The LEADER Programme is also a source of funding for rural areas and the purchase of community defibrillators may be eligible for LEADER funding. Groups should contact their Local Action Group to determine eligibility.
The CLÁR programme is a targeted investment programme that provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that experience disadvantage and significant levels of de-population. Defibrillators may be funded as part of a larger community project.
The purchase of a defibrillator may also form part of a much larger community project under schemes such as the Community Recognition Fund.
Details of all of my Department's schemes are available on my Department's website.
232. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development with whom responsibility lies to ensure owners of restricted breeds of dogs are aware of their obligations and responsibilities pursuant to relevant legislation governing these breeds; if there are any plans to introduce a system whereby an owner of a restricted breed are obliged to register as part of the process whereby dog licences are issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26711/24]
View answerThe Department of Rural and Community Development has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational matters under the Control of Dogs Acts including licensing and enforcement.
The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 set out requirements that owners of 11 specific breeds of dogs, including strains or crosses of those breeds, must comply with.
In public, restricted dogs, and any crosses thereof, must be:
• securely muzzled,
• on a sufficiently strong leash or chain not exceeding 2 metres in length, and
• handled by a competent person over 16 years of age.
I am committed to improving outcomes in relation to Dog Control in Ireland and in this context in November 2023, I increased ‘on-the-spot’ fines for offences under the Control of Dogs Act, including trebling the fines for most serious offences from €100 to €300. Multiple fines can be issued where more than one offence occurs.
In addition, I announced the establishment of a high level stakeholder group to consider and make recommendations to strengthen policy in relation to control of dogs issues. Membership of the stakeholder group comprises a broad range of expertise including academics, veterinary surgeons, local authorities, farming interests, charities working in the field and animal welfare experts. This stakeholder group will also consider if legislative changes to the Control of Dogs Act are required.
The work of the stakeholder group is complex in nature requiring full consideration of all aspects of both pieces of legislation under the remit of my Department including any additional measures for restricted breeds such as registration, and this will take some time. However, in view of recent events, I have asked the Chair to prioritise the issue of Restricted Dogs and this will be the first issue to be considered by the stakeholder group at its next meeting to be held later this month. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter as soon as possible once they have considered all issues arising.
My Department is also supporting a national training programme for dog wardens to ensure consistency and a standardised approach to enforcement and to support shared learning across the country.
I believe it is important for dog owners to be aware of their responsibilities and act in a responsible way - not just towards the general public but also towards their dogs. For this reason, I launched a major national awareness campaign in April to alert dog owners to their responsibilities and to raise awareness of the dangers that can be posed to people and to livestock by uncontrolled dogs.
I have also worked closely with my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to publish a plain-language leaflet informing dog owners of their legal obligations. This leaflet has been widely distributed and is now available from every dog warden, local authority and veterinary surgery in the country in addition to over 100 animal welfare charities. It is also available in multiple languages online at Gov.ie/ResponsibleDogOwnership.
My Department will continue these awareness efforts alongside the work of the Stakeholder group.
