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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD today announced that his Department is inviting submissions from interested or knowledgeable parties on the microchipping of dogs.

Making this announcement, Minister Coveney said that he had recently announced in Dail Eireann during a discussion on the Animal Health and Welfare Bill that he is planning to introduce a programme to microchip all dogs in the country. As the Animal Health & Welfare Bill has now been passed by both Houses and will shortly be enacted into law, planning for this programme is now under way and his Department is inviting submissions from interested or knowledgeable parties on the issue.

Minister Coveney said that microchipping of dogs will have a number of benefits –

· provide a basic tool to protect the welfare of all dogs,

· assist in uniting stray dogs with their owners,

· act as a deterrent for those who abandon dogs,

· assist in identifying marauding dogs and those that pose a threat to livestock or people.

His intention is that the Programme will be rolled out on a gradual basis, beginning with newly born pups, dogs for sale or re-homed dogs. Regulations will be made to give effect to this policy in due course. Minister Coveney said that before making firm decisions “I am anxious to hear the views of stakeholders on the subject and, accordingly, my Department is inviting submissions about the optimum ways to bring this project on stream. All views expressed will be taken into account in the final decision. There has already been some significant interest in the matter and some parties have already made submissions to his Department.”

There is no need to resubmit views already submitted. Interested individuals and organisations should make submissions before 21 June 2013 to Dog Microchipping Initiative, Animal Health and Welfare Division, 4C, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Agriculture House, Kildare St Dublin 2. Any enquires may be addressed to the above, or by telephone to (01) 6072127.