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

If we are to take on extra people from the Dogs Trust or the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ISPCA, and make them authorised officers, I must be satisfied that they are appropriate for the job under the service agreement. Using the pool of people who have experience in preventing animal cruelty and in managing same will be useful in an urban environment. However, this is not the intention in terms of agricultural holdings. We have debated this issue previously. To my mind, providing a farmer or someone else with an alternative to court is a protective measure for the individual, in that it would keep him or her out of court, and is not meant to be used as an excuse to dish out numerous fines to make money.