Stricter rules for puppy farms is ‘something people want action on’, Dail hears

A Bill to introduce stricter regulations of dog breeders is “something people want to see action on”, the Dail has been told.

Social Democrat TD Jennifer Whitmore, who proposed the draft law, said most people can understand the need and urgency for it.

The Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2025 was debated in the Dail on Wednesday, where TDs raised concerns about animal cruelty and how some dog breeders “exploit” families in the run up to Christmas.

The government, which initially said it would delay the Bill by 12 months, by the end of the debate agreed to a nine-month delay, which was accepted by the Social Democrats.

“This is something that people want to see action on, and it doesn’t matter what party they support,” she said.

The legislation, drafted in consultation with representatives of Dog Law Ireland, contains measures including a cap on the number of breeding females at 30 per site, a minimum age of 10 weeks for pup separation and the outlawing of surgical artificial insemination.

For breeding dogs, it also introduces a 16-month minimum age for breeding and eight-year maximum ag, a maximum of one litter per year per breeding female, and a maximum of four litters per breeding female during her lifetime.

Ms Whitmore has described Ireland as being “the puppy farm capital of Europe”, as 30,000 dogs are exported annually to illegal markets in the UK and Europe.

She said the number of dogs taken into Irish pounds was because of “weak” regulation under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010.

“It means females as young as four months can be bred, with no maximum age, and they can have up to six litters in their lifetimes,” she said.

During the Dail debate, TDs criticised that surgical artificial insemination remained legal under statute despite the Irish Veterinary Council banning it under its code of practice.

TDs said that the current dog breeding system allowed “cruelty behind closed doors” and said the debate on introducing stricter rules should not be reduced to a “city versus country culture war”.

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman criticised the government’s move to delay the Bill, and said it should be passed within the lifetime of the government.

“It’s always been my experience that the vast majority of Irish people, rural and urban alike, want a humane regulatory system in place that seeks to put the welfare of animals at its heart.

“But every time, when it comes to actually making even small changes, the political fight is entrenched, it’s vitriolic.

“Those proposing changes are attacked, and it’s escalated into some sort of perverse city-versus-country culture war and that is done as a very deliberate tactic.”

Independent TD Richard O’Donoghue said that the majority of dog breeders are “doing it right” and said that resources for proper animal welfare enforcement had never been provided.

TDs including Aontu TD Paul Lawless and Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins raised the issue of sheep worrying by dogs during the debate.

Mr Collins also warned of families being exploited by some dog breeders coming up to the Christmas period.

“Leading organisations across Ireland have issued strong warnings about buying dogs from breeders during the festival period, the ISPCA has highlighted that puppy farmers exploit the Christmas rush, producing litters in poor conditions without proper care, vaccinations or microchipping.”

Towards the end of the debate, Social Democrat TD Rory Hearne disclosed to the Dail that he is a cat owner, but said he believed other cat owners – and his own cat – approved of the legislation.

“I was sitting this morning with my cat listening to Deputy Whitmore on Morning Ireland, and the cat meowed at me, and I think she meowed in approval though I’m not quite sure,” he said.