Dog microchipping costs
Michael Healy-Rae asks whether farmers will receive help with the cost of mandatory dog microchipping; the Chair says the issue can be raised during the Bill’s Report Stage.
While I appreciate the merit of yesterday's announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine that every dog in the country will have to be microchipped, it will place another financial burden on farmers who need dogs to carry out their day-to-day work. Will some allowance be made in the Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012 to ease the financial burden this measure will impose on farmers who are already struggling?