Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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We are hearing on this issue that the Department will do a root and branch review, that there is urgency and all the rest. However, in response to another "RTÉ Investigates" programme from a full year ago, I am told the Department has looked at a terms of reference and is thinking about bringing something to tender. It does not speak of urgency. When we saw the conditions those dogs were kept in and the shocking figures of up to 6,000 greyhounds a year being culled just because they are not fast enough and we cannot find a use for them, it is not good enough that the Department is coming back 12 months later with terms of reference.

I also do not know why we have to use an external reviewer when there is already a remove between governing bodies and the overseeing Department. We have Bord na gCon, the IHRB and the HRI. Why do we need to go externally? I will be honest. It speaks to me of a Sir Humphrey Appleby tactic. We will get an external report, kick it to the long grass, in the meantime we will have a change of government and all will be right in the world.

Turning to biosecurity, will the Department give me an approximate figure for what ash dieback will cost between commercial revenues lost and the cost of remediating? I am sure it is an enormous figure.