Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I am pleased to have the opportunity to say a few words on this important Animal Health and Welfare Bill. The welfare of animals is extremely important in Ireland and regardless of whether people have animals as pets, for commercial use, as farmers or whatever the case may be, it is important to introduce and have in place legislation. I am delighted this Bill has been allocated so much time for debate.

The Bill aims to address two separate but related themes. On animal health, the Bill sets down a number of rules aimed at preventing the spread of disease. It also sets out much clearer definitions of what is expected of people who own animals, as well as those whose responsibility it is to care for them. This legislation will empower the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to deal efficiently and effectively with all current or potential disease threats to farming livestock. It also will allow the Minister to declare that the State or a part thereof is a disease eradication area. This will allow the country to tackle any future outbreaks in a co-ordinated and aggressive fashion. As for our history of tackling animal diseases, particularly brucellosis, tuberculosis and others, I note much progress has been made. However, this has cost a lot of money and in the future, I will welcome the introduction of new and better ways of detecting and eradicating disease. I refer to the blood testing for tuberculosis, which I believe will constitute a major step forward and I hope for and look forward to the day when it will become a reality.

That is because testing is costly for animal owners not only in terms of finance but also in time and we should find a more efficient and effective way to deal with the matter.

Section 8 Bill will impose obligations on animal owners or carers to take all the necessary precautions to ensure that animals do not stray. Common sense requirements will be introduced to ensure that appropriate infrastructure, such as fencing and buildings, is provided by the owner. This will act as a substantial prevention measure to reduce the spread of disease. In the event of an outbreak a person would be required to show that he had taken all reasonable steps to prevent the spread of disease or at the very least minimise the impact on himself and his neighbours.

Given the increase in prominence of our agriculture sector these measures are necessary to ensure a profitable and sustainable future for the agricultural industry. It would be foolish for us not to take these steps and I have no doubt of the positive impact they will have on our industry, an industry that has great potential for growth. In order to get out of the recession striking the country I have no doubt that food and agricultural industry provides a gateway. There is an opportunity for us to develop and extend given that we have done so much on our animal production and have a clean food image. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, his predecessor, farming organisations and farmers themselves have done so much in this respect. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, in particular is striving to pursue this agenda which will greatly benefit those who are unemployed.

On animal welfare, the Bill provides for harsher punishments and greater preventative powers in the area of animal cruelty. Some of these measures are long overdue particularly when it comes to the mistreatment of domestic animals and the weak punishment of those found guilty of cruelty. While obviously protecting the work done by veterinary surgeons as well as those partaking in hunting, fishing and coursing, for the first time this legislation will make animal mutilation a specific offence.

With regard to country sports and country pursuits, particularly coursing and fishing, a growing number of people have an agenda to try to get sports such as coursing banned. I understand that many strong speeches were made in this House last night. I come from an area of the country that has a very strong tradition of coursing. Given the way those coursing meetings are guarded and protected, I would challenge any of those people opposed to those sports to come and see at first hand exactly how they are run. Too much is being written and said about those sports which are major tourism attractions, particularly hunting and fishing. There is great potential for tourists fishing on the lakes and rivers throughout the country. Some people have an agenda to suggest to the public that those sports are cruel. The people involved in those sports are committed to animal welfare and protecting all the animals involved. We should protect them and regulate them, but they should be seen as a benefit to people and to the country's tourism industry. That is a matter that needs to be introduced into this debate.

I would welcome the opportunity to bring some of those people, who talk about how cruel those pursuits are, down to my part of the country so that they could see how those rural pursuits are being carried out. I can guarantee that they would have a completely different attitude rather than making statements in the Dáil that they believe appeal to the public. I challenge them, and particularly those Members of this House, to come with me to the coursing in Clonmel and Cashel, and to the fishing in Golden. They could come to any place in my constituency and see how the people in that area look after those animals and look after their sports.

It is very welcome to have the Bill before the House. Some farmers were concerned that there might be over-regulation. The reality is that people who are good at animal husbandry and are committed to their animals have nothing to fear from the Bill. I welcome that these provisions will be put on a statutory basis.

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