asked the Minister for Finance when the dog licensing fee was last increased.

3.

asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money that was collected in dog licensing fees in the last financial year.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.

The duty on a dog licence was last increased in 1975.

The amount of duty collected in respect of dog licences in 1981, which is the latest year for which complete figures are available, was £120,000.

Would the Minister not agree that there is an urgent need to review the dog licence fees by reason of the proliferation of dogs in circulation and the fact that they caused £2 million worth of damage to sheep farmers last year?

Hear, hear.

I am aware that there is a great deal of anxiety about the damage being caused by dogs and of a number of proposals to the effect that we could increase the dog licence fee and in some cases use the revenue derived from dog licence fees to assist local authorities in taking measures to control dogs. However, the measures which are being taken by certain local authorities are funded through the normal funding arrangements of those local authorities. The dog licences, as the House is aware, are a duty collected for the benefit of the Exchequer. In fact, in provisions made for local authorities there is no bar to the procedure, as practised, of making provision for activities in which they are involved in controlling dogs.

Does the Minister not accept, in view of his reply to Deputy Taylor's question, that it would be very simple to introduce the necessary legislation to deal with this problem and the Government would have the sympathy of all Members of this House in that respect? Deputy Taylor has rightly said that enormous damage has been caused by stray dogs in the south Dublin area and, indeed, the north Dublin area. Would the Minister not now consider freeing himself from the regulations and the old legislation and bringing in new legislation to deal with this problem, so that the sheep farmers in the Dublin mountains can be protected?

The Deputy is now making a speech.

I am being quite reasonable. I wanted to ask the Minister this question.

I have every sympathy with the case which the Deputy is making. He may remember that when on the Opposition benches I made a similar case. I am very anxious that we should have proper measures to assist in the control of dogs and the curbing of the amount of damage being done by them. As I said, there are existing provisions under which local authorities can take steps to deal with this problem. I do not consider that these are adequate and will be discussing the matter with my colleagues in the Departments of Agriculture, the Environment and Justice in order to see if we can find a better way of dealing with this problem.

Question No. 4.

There are the bones of basic legislation to improve this situation and I should like——

A question, please, Deputy.

Perhaps the Minister would inquire into that matter in the Department of Agriculture at present.

A final answer.

Yes, indeed. I have every understanding of the point raised by the Deputy. If my memory serves me correctly I think I posed a similar question to him not long ago.

That is right.