Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

All I was seeking to do was to thank the Minister for his inclusive approach and having considered the amendments before he came to the House, which is not always the case with Ministers.

I agree with the Minister that not every authorised officer carrying out inspections should be a veterinarian. That would be a huge waste of money. The great majority of farmyard visits could be carried out by a non-veterinarian, but some training in animal husbandry or veterinary practice is required before a person can order the destruction of an animal. Some of our colleagues will discuss the rights of animals, but aside from that, in some instances, they can be a very valuable and essential piece of property, for example, a pedigree cow or bull, on which a farmer's entire breeding system is based, or a racehorse. If a person with no training was able to go onto a farm and order the destruction of a farmyard animal against the wishes of the farmer, I would be very concerned. I declare a conflict of interest, as I am a farmer. I have also received some legal training and would have grave reservations about the ability of somebody with no animal husbandry or veterinary training to come onto my farm and order me to destroy an animal. I accept that he or she could honestly believe that that animal requires to be destroyed, but if a farmer believes otherwise, a degree of training or veterinary experience is required before a person could order the destruction of an animal. I, therefore, urge the Minister to consider how these property rights could be protected. I acknowledge such rights give way to the common good. However, I am not arguing that a farmer's property rights in terms of his or her farmyard animals should trump everything else, but they should be considered.