3. Mrs Erskine asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to outline how his Department will address illegal puppy farming and breeding. (AQO 753/22-27)

I would like to highlight the robust legislation that Northern Ireland already has in place to regulate commercial dog-breeding establishments. The Welfare of Animals (Dog Breeding Establishments and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 empower councils to license and inspect potential or current breeding establishments. The 2013 regulations also provide powers for council inspectors to act if a commercial breeder does not meet the standards required. That includes the power to suspend or revoke a licence. Unlicensed commercial breeders and licence holders who breach the conditions of those regulations can face prosecution, and a conviction carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a fine of £5,000.

To combat the illegal breeding and trafficking of low-welfare pups, my Department supports the councils and other statutory bodies under the Paws for Thought initiative. That initiative, chaired by my Department, comprises representatives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, councils, Belfast Harbour Police, ferry companies and my Department’s animal welfare policy, enforcement and portal inspection teams. In addition, my Department continues to work with councils and the other relevant statutory bodies to promote messages and communications that urge the public to secure dogs from reputable and licensed breeders.

I am conscious that dog breeding is an area where stakeholders express concern and that more action will be required in the time ahead. Therefore, I am keen to explore their views on what action they believe is needed as well as discussing my intention to introduce a version of Lucy’s law to Northern Ireland.

I thank the Minister for his answer. It will be no surprise to him that this is a very hot topic in my Constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. He referenced Lucy's law, and I welcome a commitment to that. I want to ensure that there are no loopholes in the legislation where breeders —

Question, please.

— act legally within what has been set out. Can he commit that he will also look at how those people act legally but may have a loophole in the system that they can access?

I thank the Member for her question. When we are designing legislation and policy around animal welfare, we need to be very conscious of the issue that she has outlined about people's ability to navigate the legislation and create loopholes around it all. That is why it is important that, when we are developing it, we do it correctly.

On Lucy's law, I am conscious that Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that is yet to introduce legislation to regulate the third-party sale of pups and kittens. Therefore, I would like to confirm that it remains my intention to deliver a version of Lucy's law in Northern Ireland within the lifetime of this Assembly. My officials are developing options for my consideration, and I will carefully consider all options and then decide on the best one for appropriately regulating the third-party sale of pups and kittens in Northern Ireland. Any proposals that I am minded to introduce will be subject to public consultation. I am also keen to engage with the animal welfare sector, and I intend to facilitate discussions with key stakeholders in the time ahead as I determine the best course of action in implementing Lucy's law.

Minister, how does your Department monitor how well or not so well different council areas are looking into illegal breeding? I am aware that there is an animal rights abuse event next month in the Long Gallery. Will you attend that important event?

On the second question, I am happy for you to send me through details of that. We will consider that based on diary availability.

On the first question, it is for councils in Northern Ireland to enforce that. If there are concerns around that, I am happy for the Member to write to me raising those concerns. We do seek to work in partnership with councils, and the importance of this area means that it is about working together.

I was in Larne last week to see the Paws for Thought initiative, which is essentially about tackling puppy smuggling. It is about seeing all those different bodies coming together to be able to deal with something that is insidious and wrong. That is why it is key that councils, HMRC, the police and my Department come together around the issues. Stakeholders, such as animal welfare charities, have a crucial role to play. That is why I want to sit down with them to discuss the next steps in policy and legislation. I want to work with people on those issues to stamp out animal cruelty in Northern Ireland.

I am glad to hear that the Minister is out and about these days and has gone to Larne. That is great. Can I ask for a bit more detail on how puppy smuggling is being tackled?

I enjoyed my day in Larne, and I was up in Glenarm as well. It is a great Constituency to visit.

The Paws for Thought initiative is a key Intervention, and we are all working together to tackle smuggling. I will highlight that, as part of that initiative, we will communicate with the general public to make them understand that they have a role to play in not being part of it and in being conscious that, when they buy pups and kittens, they are aware of where they came from and have assured themselves in that regard.

One last thing that I will say in response to the Member's question is that I want to bring in a good bit of legislation and policy around animal welfare so that we can tackle animal cruelty. Crucially, I will need resource and funding to do that, because it requires officials to consult and engage on legislation and to bring it to the Chamber. My Department's budget for next year will be absolutely crucial, because, if I do not get a settlement that is fair and just to allow me to do that, unfortunately, we will not be able to do the work that we need to do around tackling animal cruelty.