Dr. Colm Gaynor:

I will move on to tolerance levels. The Deputy is right that for certain substances, particularly the residues of medical products used to treat greyhounds and also contaminants in food, which was mentioned, it is necessary to set limits. For the first time, this Bill will allow the board to set limits. The process for doing that is to take substances one by one through the scientific advisory committee and for it to do its necessary analysis on it and come forward with limits it believes do not affect the performance of a greyhound. That is the way we will address the tolerance levels. As that is done through a scientific committee of experts who have nothing to do with greyhounds but who have expert knowledge in all the areas required, it should address any public perception problems about how the levels are set and their accuracy.

I will deal with the export of greyhounds before I return to the question of welfare, which one of my colleagues will deal with on the rehoming costs etc. The Irish Greyhound Board, IGB, has repeatedly stated that it does not support the export of greyhounds to destinations which do not conform with our Animal Health and Welfare Act, Welfare of Greyhounds Act or the code of practice and standards. We recognise that there are proposals in the House that would achieve that objective. If they could be enacted, it would be a significant step forward and one we would welcome. However, we also realise that the proposed measure cannot be viewed in isolation and that there are other considerations which need to be taken into account. For a start, the rules on dog movement between member states of the European Union are set at a European level and not at a national level. Changes as proposed and as we would like, therefore, may have to be sponsored at a European level and not at a national level.

Members may know that the World Trade Organization does not envisage restrictions based on animal welfare concerns. This is a point of considerable annoyance to Europe, although they can have restrictions, but usually when it is at such a level that it offends public morality across Europe that barriers need to be put in place. We are not the only country with concerns about dog exports from Europe to countries that do not have our standards. There are practices that go on in other countries against all types of dogs that are appalling.

On a more positive note, we have proposals to greatly improve the traceability of greyhounds in order that we can track where they are and track a variety of life events to a much greater extent than those required under the current dog microchipping regulations. In that way we are trying to get a grip and make people who have dogs accountable for what happens to them in their post-racing life. Traceability has considerable advantages, although I am slipping into what Senator Paul Daly mentioned, because it has improved the people's confidence in what it does and in improving accountability in the other, particularly in the livestock and food area. Those are the areas I would deal with.

Senator Daly touched on one other aspect, my notes are difficult to read, I think it was about the traceability issue. We are very keen to see good traceability in place to give confidence to people and to give accountability for people who own greyhounds. We can address the problems he mentioned in that way.

I might leave the welfare matter.