Eoin Ó Broin
Question:249. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of dog wardens employed in each of the years 2023 to 2025, in tabular form. [55729/25]
View answerWednesday, 15 October 2025
Questions (249)
Written answers
My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. This legislation makes provision for dog licensing arrangements and the functions of dog wardens. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational, implementation and enforcement matters under the Acts.
Section 15(1) of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 states that every local authority must employ at least one dog warden. It is a matter for each local authority to determine if more than one dog warden is required to carry out the necessary functions of the dog warden service in their local authority area.
The statistics on the number of dog wardens employed by each local authority in 2023 and 2024 can be found in the attached document. Figures for any given year are typically made available in the subsequent year following data collation across all Local Authorities and subsequent checks and validation processes by the parent Department, which is now my Department, following the transfer of functions in the area of dog control policy from the Department of Rural, Community Development and the Gaeltacht during 2025.