Mr. Anthony Collins:

The equine and canine industries are driving the €6 million spend. The one single factor in both of those cases is irresponsible ownership and possibly the lack of ownership. Operators are buying and selling in the black economy and animals have become valueless, particularly in the equine industry where horses are stamped out of the food chain and the taxpayer is responsible for the disposal of the carcass. An equine animal that ends up in the knackery has lost its value to the food chain. According to our figures, the cost is almost €2,000 per animal. On top of that, these horses must go to the knackery. That costs another €800. Therefore, every equine animal that is stamped out of the food chain costs the taxpayer almost €3,000. The Irish taxpayer was never alerted to any of this nonsense in respect of the equine industry.

In the canine industry, with the online passport, we will be able to regulate the breeders. We are tackling the black economy in the industry through the stipulation that no animal can move from one ownership on the online passport to another, without that owner having a registered premises. It cannot be transferred on the system. The domestic units that are breeding puppies are contributing hugely to the animal welfare issues in the canine industry. With the online system, we are proposing that every owner has a canine premises. Moreover, in respect of both the canine and equine industries, a yearly census is to be carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. That is the policing tool for both industries. Every movement of a horse or a dog will be traceable. There will be traceability of where the animal is coming from and where it is going, more importantly. With an online passport, the animal cannot leave the owner's premises to go to an unregistered premises.

With the online system, in the case that animals that are found dead, whether they are canine or equine, it does not matter when they are found. If, for example, they are found 15 years later off the cliffs of County Clare, or wherever they are found, the DNA remains, and the last person who owned the dead animal, whether dog or horse, will be subject to sanction because he or she can be identified.