John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak on the Bill. It has exercised many Deputies over recent weeks, Fianna Fáil Deputies as well as Deputies on the other side of the House. In 2005, Deputy Dick Roche prepared the heads of the Bill with regard to a report for the working group. At that time, it was to deal specifically with puppy farms. Unfortunately, Deputy Roche did not stay long enough in the Department to finalise the Bill and now, not alone does it cover puppy farms but also kennels, greyhounds and every other sector of the dog community involved. It has caused much soul searching and public anger throughout the country. All of us as Deputies were subject to representations from the greyhound industry, the kennel industry and from other areas of the dog sector.

Last weekend, 300 or 400 people from Wexford visited me at my clinics, informing me they were not too happy about what is in the Bill and asking me to make representations to the Minister and to the Government. The Minister has reacted to some of the representations. We will await the amendments to be tabled and perhaps we will table more amendments between now and next Thursday to ensure the people in rural Ireland will be satisfied with the Bill when it is finally enacted.

It is always difficult to fully satisfy people but I am sure we will go part of the way in satisfying them. I have no problem with the legislation on puppy farms. The low standards set by unscrupulous dog breeders throughout the country in recent years has left much to be desired. Not all breeders are out of order because we have many good dog breeders that produce top-class quality and run very good operations. However, there are some cowboy operators that need to be dealt with. In 2005, the working group made strong recommendations in this area. The purpose of the Bill should be to safeguard dogs, particularly those in puppy farms. We should have proper identification, proper traceability and proper regulations, and people who run puppy farms properly and within the law have nothing to fear in the Bill.

Hunting clubs have raised many issues with me in recent weeks and, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle knows, Wexford has the Bree Hunt, the Island Hunt, the Wexford Hunt and Killinick Harriers. They have huge membership from dog owners to horse owners and they run very good kennels. To impose charges on them would cause severe hardship. They are not for profit organisations. It has enjoyable outings. It does a lot of fundraising for charitable purposes and provides valuable employment, directly and indirectly, if one considers what is involved in looking after the hounds and those involved in the hunts on a weekly basis throughout the season. A lot of people are employed and involved and it is also an opportunity to showcase its horses. It is very dissatisfied with the overall thrust of the Bill.

The Minister said he will table amendments on Committee Stage and I hope he will go further with amendments that will appease those who operate kennels and hunt clubs around the country. In his speech he stated that having regard to the concerns of the Hunting Association of Ireland, HAI, and the Irish Greyhound Board he has agreed registration fee exemptions for HAI registered members and greyhound trainers. He has also agreed to widen the fee bands in order that a dog breeding establishment with six to 18 bitches over six months of age which are capable of breeding will pay a fee of €400. He reiterated that someone with fewer than six breeding bitches will not be covered by the Bill. It is a welcome change from the Minister's initial proposal. In some areas the €400 will cause hardships and the Minister needs to reconsider the issue to see how he can make further changes.

He is also allowing for the continuation of the tattooing of dogs in dog breeding establishments operated by hunt clubs as an alternative option to microchipping. Hunt clubs sought such a provision and I welcome that the Minister will do that. It is a welcome change. I am sure the kennel clubs will not have only problem with the addition of a subsection to section 15 to require that tattoos be registered on a database for traceability purposes.

Dog wardens generally do a good job but the problem is that we have only one dog warden in each county and their job is difficult when one considers more than 10,000 dogs are put down every year. I welcome the fact that the Minister proposed having a dog licence for the lifetime of the dog rather than having to renew it on a yearly basis. In his speech the Minister said he would seriously consider an exemption for dog licences for old age pensioners.

On the greyhound industry, like Deputy Carey I own a greyhound. It ran six times and was last five times. It is not as successful as Deputy Carey's greyhound. It is costing me a lot of money to keep it and train it, although the trainer feels I am in arrears on training fees. We do not want to over regulate the greyhound industry. The industry worked very well under the 1958 Act. It has been one of the great success stories of this country. Different Governments have invested in it, including the Fine Gael and Labour coalition and the current Government, which has pumped a lot of money into the greyhound industry. New stadia are being built around the country.

There is a dog track in Enniscorthy which is one of the most successful in the country. People tell me it is the top betting dog track in Ireland. Unfortunately we did not have the same investment as other parts of the country. The former Minister, Joe Walsh, allocated €4 million to it a number of years ago for but for reasons I cannot go into today we were unable to avail of it. It is not the same standard as others with restaurants. It is a very high class greyhound track for racing.

In recent years due to the recession we have seen a downturn in the greyhound industry. During the boom farmers and builders were doing well and there was huge investment in greyhounds, not just in Wexford but all over the country. In 2006 Ireland produced 4,481 litters of greyhounds. It has decreased by 14%, 6%, 11% and there is a 9% decrease projected for this year. For the first time in a decade Ireland will produce fewer than 3,000 litters in 2010. Based on the numbers of declared litters in 2010 so far, we are on course to produce some 2,800 litters this year which compared to 2006 is a drop of one third.

We do not want to introduce legislation which will downgrade the greyhound industry and will lead to a lack of investment. The 1958 Act has worked very well and I complement the Minister, Deputy Smith, and the Minister, Deputy Gormley, on the changes announced today. The Minister, Deputy Smith, will upgrade the 1958 Act in the autumn in line with this Bill. I appeal to both Ministers not to over-regulate the greyhound industry. It currently works very well. It should be left alone. There is no need for changes.

I have great faith in the Minister, Deputy Gormley, and the Minister, Deputy Smith, to work out a system that will ensure that the greyhound industry will continue to thrive and be viable, and will encourage people invest in the greyhound industry in Ireland.

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