Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to make two brief final points. Some very good ideas have been set out. They are quite different. How has dealing with the abuse of animals in rural areas been elevated? Many people in the community take this issue very seriously. There is probably a perception that our law is not sufficiently severe in how it deals with people who abuse and mistreat animals. Maybe there is not enough awareness of this issue, certainly in the South. It is not treated with enough importance for the Garda to deal with it properly. I ask the witnesses to comment on that. What has been the experience of the PSNI?

The other matter I would like to raise is at the other end of the spectrum. The issue of hate crimes has been touched on. New communities and minority groups are a huge part of the new Ireland, North and South. How do the members of the police services in both areas who deal with our new minority communities elevate or reflect these issues to ensure they are taken sufficiently seriously?