Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy might find it helpful to examine section 2(3), which states:

The person, being of full age, who has actual care and control of a person who is--(a) under the age of 16 years, and
(b) the apparent owner or person in possession or control of a protected animal,is, for the purposes of this Act, regarded as owning, possessing or being in control of the animal.

There is a definition, therefore. The issue is the actual point of sale. The person who has a legal obligation must give approval for the purchase. One does not want a young person who gets caught up in the excitement of a horse fair buying two horses and bringing them home to a family that cannot look after them, thus creating a welfare disaster. Such individuals would not be able to sell them and would be stuck with them, resulting in the animals being left in a field or at the side of the road, where they would have to be picked up by local authority officials. This happens and we are trying to prevent it.

I do not want to be the kind of Minister who introduces hard-line legislation that kills off the relationship that results in a parent and child going to a fair and the latter buying an animal that the family is perfectly capable of looking after properly. That is a reasonable concern.

I will consider the matter. If the Deputy presses the amendment, I will oppose it, but if he re-introduces it on Report Stage, I will determine whether we can improve the wording.