Protect Service Animals NI

The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill.

Documentation relating to the consultation and draft legislation has completed the internal clearance process.
Ministerial approval has also been granted to obtain the views of the Minister of Justice on the draft consultation paper and to submit the draft consultation document to the NI Assembly Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee for consideration, thereafter the public consultation will be launched as soon as possible.

As I've been in contact with Mr. Andrews, DAERA since 2018 who has given me updates and the procedures with the Bill for their department, the Public Consultation Paper when issued will have a time scale for returning, once the Public Consultation Paper is returned the responses to the consultation will then be collated and analysed, and following this assessment work, the policy intent will be agreed by the Minister. A Departmental response will be published, which will set out the way forward. This policy intent will inform the legislative provisions required to bring forward any amendments deemed necessary, in respect of Service Animals, to the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

The Bill is then returned to the Assembly for the Legislative Process which I have attached.

Speaking to Alex Easton MLA this morning, this process can take up to 6 months. There is the Accelerated Passage but this is for urgent Bills.

Therefore, The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill could be enacted January/February 2022 providing everything goes smoothly.

I will attach the Public Consultation Paper here once I have received it.

Thank you all for your support.

#ServiceAnimalsNI