Maeve O'Connell
Question:787. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will develop an exotic pets register, similar to practices in Northern Ireland. [3379/26]
View answerTuesday, 20 January 2026
Questions (787)
Written answers
My Department introduced the Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pet Animals) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 681/2019). These Regulations put into law certain requirements for sellers and suppliers of pet animals, including the requirement for registering with my Department and agreeing to have certain records available to the public.
My Department engages with online platforms that sell pets, reminding them of the obligations in relation to the regulations surrounding pet sales. Any pet sales advertisements that are reported to my Department for potential breaches of the legislation are investigated by my Department, local authorities and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA). Where breaches of the regulations are found, advertisements are removed, and the owners are then investigated through the relevant channels.
Husbandry, or care for animals including exotic animals, is outlined in the code of practice for sellers and suppliers of pet animals, available here Code of Practice for Sellers of Pet Animals. My Department currently has no plans to introduce a positive or a prohibited list for exotic animals.