John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Tom Hayes that the vast majority of people involved in agriculture and animal husbandry who have good practices have nothing to fear from this legislation. I welcome the updating of the legislation which goes back over 100 years dealing with cruelty to animals and animal diseases. I welcome the publication of the Bill and the provisions outlining basic requirements for looking after animals on farms and elsewhere. It is not before time in that regard.

I wish to focus on some areas not referred to by previous speakers. I agree with the harsher punishments for those found guilty of cruelty to animals contained in the legislation. There can be no hiding place for people who would engage in wanton cruelty to animals. As someone who has lived in the countryside all of my life, I could not defend people who behave in a cruel way towards creatures of any sort and I welcome the legislation in that regard.

I take this opportunity to remind the Minister of some matters I have mentioned previously to him and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan. I refer to the care of dogs and some of the puppy shelters and dog shelters which are essential and carry out important work in collecting dogs that have been abandoned by owners. However, I have some reservations about some of the controls and with regard to those who accept or take dogs from these shelters, particularly in connection with their suitability to look after the animals. There have been a number of very serious incidents of attacks by dogs on flocks of sheep in my constituency in recent months. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that some of the dogs in question may have been dogs that had been in pounds or shelters and were taken by people who did not have the wherewithal to look after them. There is strong evidence to suggest that some of the dogs belonged to families that may have been relatively new to rural areas and did not understand the dangers associated with owning a dog in a rural area if that dog is not controlled.

In the cases of which I have spoken a great deal of damage was done to the sheep and the farmers suffered great financial loss and distress. As a young child I saw sheep that had been attacked. It was not a pleasant sight. I ask that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, in conjunction with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan who is responsible for dog pounds and the regulations governing such premises around the country, to embark on a renewed campaign of education of people who own dogs, in particular in rural areas.

Some 25 years ago when I was growing up there was an advertisement on television in regard to dogs attacking sheep. That advertisement disappeared from our screens a long time ago. It was the first in a type of advertising that has since been used, in particular in respect of road safety and other matters. From a television advertisement point of view little, if anything, is done nowadays to alert people, particularly in rural areas, to the responsibilities of dog ownership and the damage and destruction which uncontrolled dogs can do in rural areas. I call on the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, to ensure the introduction of a new public advertisement and education programme alerting people living in or adjacent to the countryside who own dogs, and those wishing to take dogs from the pound and give them a new home, of the potential for danger in this regard and the consequences for them of not controlling their dogs. It is unacceptable that dogs would be left uncontrolled resulting in havoc being wreaked on other animals, in particular sheep.

I welcome the legislation, which I support. It is appropriate that after 101 years we are introducing updated legislation to deal with cruelty to animals. I support what the Minister is endeavouring to achieve through the introduction of this legislation.

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