Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

We know dog wardens are employed by local authorities. We need to have one authority, either the Department of agriculture or the local authorities, to be responsible for the farmers and ensure they are doing their job. It cannot be the case that the Department of agriculture is over it but the dog wardens are not responsible to the Department. That is an anomaly that must be straightened out by us. It is absolutely ridiculous to hear Deputy Willie Aird saying that we cannot challenge people on our own land. That tells us where the problem is at. That is the truth and it should not be the case. If we are responsible for our own farms and property, there should be no one else able to surmount that or take no notice of us. Farmers must get assistance and the only one that can deal with situations like this is An Garda Síochána. A lot of work needs to be done, as Deputy Aird said. We need to get our act together and ensure it will be just the one authority in charge of the dog wardens because they have a role to play when someone reports that their sheep or other animals are being worried. I have seen dogs going after cows, calves and horses. They can do so much damage to those valuable animals. All sheep are valuable to the farmers who have them. Other animals can be far more expensive. If a farmer confronts someone, he should be safe in doing so and in taking the number of their car or whatever and it should have to be followed up by the Garda. I can see no other way of doing it.