Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

There is a level of ambiguity which Members thought was resolved last Friday when the Minister said it was proposed that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food would amend the 1958 Greyhound Industry Act to legislate for welfare provisions for members of the Irish Greyhound Board. Once amended, the welfare of the IGB registered greyhounds will be addressed through the amended 1958 Act and would then replace for IGB registered greyhounds, breeders and trainers only, the provisions of the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009.

I am not too sure where the Minister is going and whether he is creating a legislative difficulty. He does not cite the 1958 Act in this Bill. By his reference of last week he is stating that this will be dealt with through separate legislation on the greyhound industry. What is the Minister's position? More important, where is he in a legislative sense? He seems to have a foot in both pieces of legislation but he is not stating where it stands in either.

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