Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has said this is a priority for him. I believe that and I am glad of it. Many good submissions were made by the public. It would be completely wrong if we were not to take them into account. The reason they were made is that the current system is not fit for purpose. In particular there needs to be a proactive approach in respect of issues such as the use of portable kennels, third-party sales, a ban on selling puppies under eight weeks of age, adequate licence fees, the black market and illegal selling of puppies.

The area of enforcement, or rather the lack of enforcement, is critical. A glaring inconsistency has been highlighted across different local authority areas. This has caused extensive problems in terms of the welfare of animals. Ireland's reputation has been already damaged because of the export of greyhounds to China. We are developing a disreputable international name and we need to correct that urgently. It is important not only that the guidelines are updated but that the enforcement mechanism is substantially beefed-up as well.

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