Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010
Number 29 of 2010
DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2010
REVISED
Updated to 1 August 2025
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the Statute Law Revision Act 2025 (10/2025), enacted 23 July 2025, and all statutory instruments up to and including the Urban Wastewater (Nutrient - Sensitive Areas) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 403 of 2025), made 1 August 2025, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to
revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 29 of 2010
DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2010
REVISED
Updated to 1 August 2025
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Preliminary and General
Section
1. Short title, collective citation and commencement.
8. Review of operation of Act.
Regulation of Dog Breeding Establishments
9. Register of dog breeding establishments.
10. Representations made by applicant for registration under section 9.
11. Appeal to District Court against decision of local authority.
12. Removal of dog breeding establishment from register.
14. Annual dog breeding establishment charge.
15. Duties of operators of dog breeding establishments.
17. Notification of sale or transfer of dog.
19. Powers of authorised persons.
22. Offence to operate unregistered dog breeding establishment.
Amendment of Control of Dogs Act 1986
24. Duration of licences issued under Act of 1986.
Acts Referred to
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2009, No. 6 |
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1992, No. 13 |
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1986, No. 32 |
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Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 |
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1967, No. 12 |
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2001, No. 37 |
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1997, No. 39 |
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2005, No. 22 |
Number 29 of 2010
DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS ACT 2010
REVISED
Updated to 1 August 2025
AN ACT TO REGULATE THE OPERATION OF DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS; TO REQUIRE LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN REGISTERS OF DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS; TO PROHIBIT THE OPERATION OF UNREGISTERED DOG BREEDING ESTABLISHMENTS; TO AMEND THE CONTROL OF DOGS ACT 1986; AND TO PROVIDE FOR MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH.
[21st July, 2010]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text):
C1
Functions under Parts 1, 2 transferred and references to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage construed as Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1.08.2025) by Marine Environment (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025 (S.I. No. 390 of 2025), arts. 2, 3, in effect as per art. 1(2), subject to transitional provisions in arts. 4-8.
2. (1) The administration and business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any functions transferred by Article 3 are transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
(2) References to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage contained in any Act or any instrument made under an Act and relating to any administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
3. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage by or under the provisions of Part 1 and Part 2 of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 (No. 29 of 2010) are transferred to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
(2) References to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage contained in any Act or instrument made under such Act and relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
...
The history of the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government in relation to this Act can be traced as follows:
• Name of Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government construed as Environment, Community and Local Government (2.05.2011) by Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 193 of 2011), in effect as per art. 1(2);
• Name of Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government construed as Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (23.07.2016) by Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (S.I. No. 394 of 2016), in effect as per art. 1(2);
• Name of Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government construed as Housing, Planning and Local Government (1.08.2017) by Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 358 of 2017), in effect as per art. 1(2);
• Functions transferred and references to Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government construed as Housing, Local Government and Heritage (30.09.2020) by Housing, Planning and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 408 of 2020), in effect as per art. 1(2);
• Functions under Parts 1, 2 transferred and references to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage construed as Agriculture, Food and the Marine (1.08.2025) by Dog Breeding Establishments (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025 (S.I. No. 391 of 2025), in effect as per art. 1(2).
C2
Functions transferred and references to "Cathaoirleach" or "Cathaoirligh", "Leas-Chathaoirleach", "chief executive" and "deputy chief executive" construed (16.05.2024) by Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024 (7/2024), ss. 10, 23, 25, 26, 28 and sch. 1 parts 1, 2, S.I. No. 207 of 2024.
Functions of Mayor
10. (1) All functions (other than functions conferred by or under an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1) that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Mayor.
(2) All functions (other than functions conferred by or under an enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1) that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Mayor.
(3) From the vesting day, a reference in any enactment (other than an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1) to Cathaoirleach shall, in so far as the reference applies to the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Mayor, or as including a reference to the Mayor, as the context requires.
(4) From the vesting day, a reference in any enactment (other than an enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1) to chief executive shall, in so far as that reference applies to the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Mayor, or as including a reference to the Mayor, as the context requires.
(5) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
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Functions of Príomh Chomhairleoir
23. (1) All functions conferred by or under an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1 that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Príomh Chomhairleoir.
(2) From the vesting day, a reference in an enactment specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to Cathaoirleach or Cathaoirligh shall, in so far as that reference applies to the Cathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Príomh Chomhairleoir, or as including a reference to the Príomh Chomhairleoir, as the context may require.
(3) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
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Functions of Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir
25. (1) All functions conferred by or under any enactment that, immediately before the vesting day, vested in the Leas-Chathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, vest in the Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir.
(2) From the vesting day, a reference in any enactment to Leas-Chathaoirleach shall, in so far as that reference applies to the Leas-Chathaoirleach of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir, or as including a reference to the Leas-Phríomh Chomhairleoir, as the context may require.
(3) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
Director general
26. (1) The chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after the vesting day, be known as the director general of Limerick City and County Council and is in this Act referred to as the “director general”.
(2) The person who, immediately before the vesting day, was the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, continue in office and be referred to in accordance with subsection (1).
(3) On and after the vesting day, a reference in an enactment specified in Part 2 of Schedule 1 to chief executive shall, in so far as that reference applies to the chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the director general, or as including a reference to the director general, as the context may require.
(4) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
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Deputy director general
28. (1) On and after the vesting day, a deputy chief executive appointed by the director general under section 148 of the Principal Act shall be known as the deputy director general of Limerick City and County Council and is, in this Act, referred to as the “deputy director general”.
(2) The person who, immediately before the vesting day, was the deputy chief executive of Limerick City and County Council shall, on and after that day, continue in office and be referred to in accordance with subsection (1).
(3) On and after the vesting day, a reference in any enactment to deputy chief executive shall, in so far as the reference applies to the deputy chief executive of Limerick City and County Council, be construed as a reference to the deputy director general, or as including a reference to the deputy director general, as the context may require.
(4) This section shall apply subject to the modifications of the Principal Act specified in Schedule 3.
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SCHEDULE 1
PART 1
Enactments for Purposes of Sections 10 and 23
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Number and Year (1) |
Provision (2) |
Extent of Modification (3) |
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No. 37 of 2001 |
Local Government Act 2001 |
Sections 11(5)(b), 11(8), 31(4)(a), 31(5), 31(7), 31(9), 31(11), 33, 34(2)(e), 36, 37, 38, 104(7)(a), 133(6)(a), 134(4)(b), 140(8), 141(1)(b), 141(4), 142(2)(a), 142(5)(f), 143(1), 147, 148, 158(3), 174(8), 178(2)(b), 178(5), 180(3)(a), 189(9), 190(9), 216(2)(a), 219(1) and 220(1); paragraphs 3(4), 4(2), 4(3), 6(1), 6(2), 6(3), 7(9), 10, 13(5)(e), 13(6) and 16(4)(c) of Schedule 10; paragraph 3 of Schedule 14. |
PART 2
Enactments for Purposes of Sections 10 and 26
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Number and Year (1) |
Short Title (2) |
Provision (3) |
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No. 29 of 2010 |
Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 |
The whole Act. |
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C3
Application of Act restricted (1.01.2012) by Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 (29/2011), s. 29, S.I. No. 657 of 2011.
Non-application of Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010.
29.— The Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 does not apply to a premises entered on the register or to which section 12(3) applies.