Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is agreed then. The next petition for consideration is petition No. P000030/17, from Ms. Arjita Chawla, a request for amending legislation relating to dog control. It is proposed the committee corresponds with the Department responsible and requests that clearer communication on this matter be available in each city council and local authority public office. The committee will also seek clarification of the enforcement powers relating to a court decision under current legislation; correspond with the County and City Management Association and request that it also should contact all its members and suggest that clearer communication on this matter be available in each city council and local authority public office; and forward a copy of the response from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to the petitioner, informing her of the decision of the committee on the petition. It is also proposed that the committee requests that she clarifies if she can provide proof of a decision of the court not being executed. Are the recommendations agreed? Agreed.

The last petition for consideration is petition No. P000032/17, from Mr. Frederic Vidal, entitled Catalan Civil Rights Compromised. The petitioner wishes to invite representatives from the Houses of the Oireachtas to Spain in advance of the referendum on Catalan independence as he is of the opinion that the civil rights of citizens are not being respected. We have had to deem the petition inadmissible as per Standing Order 111C(1)(a), “a petition is admissible unless it requests the Dáil to do anything other than the Dáil has power to do”. It is an interesting petition nonetheless. I am sure committee members have their views on the legality or otherwise of the forthcoming referendum. However, we are constrained by Standing Orders and, accordingly, must deem the petition inadmissible. Is that agreed?