Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not saying that. I am saying that to the corporates in the UK, it was manna from heaven. With regard to the vets, in fairness to any vet - and we have a few dogs at home ourselves - any time you go to the vet, they will tell you before they start. If there is a problem and an operation to be done, they will give a fairly good guide as to what it will cost. You can decide then, as Mr. Cashman said earlier on, whether you want to do it or if you are just prolonging it for a few weeks or months, if kidneys are giving trouble and the animal needs to be put down. People have to make those decisions. You do not run a veterinary practice for nothing. In fairness, I have seen over the past five years - and I do not know what studies have been done - that when they bring the dog to get their vaccines and all that different stuff, they bring them because, in fairness, the lady of the house is better at minding them. They look after the dog, and Jesus, it is like the dog is nearly minded better than myself.