Mr. Conor Brennan:

That is a problem we came across a number of times. As regards the Senator's question as to whether there could be an umbrella group, the different pieces of legislation are working in their own way. If we were to strengthen or modernise the DB licence list so that each local authority digitises and updates the list and ensures it is updated on a regular basis and contains sound information, in a similar way, if we make it accessible for the seller and supplier list, which has now been live for a year and a half, we would then empower the person looking to buy a dog online to do his or her own research. Once a consumer knows the micro chip is verified and has a dog breeder, DB, licence number or potentially a seller or supplier number, he or she can easily access where they are on the list and where the dog is coming from. If it is DB licensed, the consumer will have the information that should be available on local authority websites. Instead of what I can imagine might be a convoluted process of bringing the list together, which would be great, the tools are in place and it seems there is a modernisation of these lists so that gives a consumer power and he or she knows where he or she is getting the dog from and that the micro chip has been verified. The second part of that goes back to the idea that where someone is selling online, and it is in the rules that a person needs to list a legitimate micro chip number, that person must verify that before it goes live. The person must put in the details, get a one-time code and put that code in. The code is verified against the person's PetNet and only then can the advertisement go live. That mechanism can verify that the dog is correct and unlock a significant amount of information that is legitimate and verifiable that the consumer can use to make his or her decision. This where we are coming at it from. That would be a game changer for us.