Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion and commend Deputy O'Sullivan.

The greyhound industry has experienced many problems and much controversy over recent years. I know regulation is coming, which is welcome. The industry, for its own benefit, has to ensure it does things right. Too much has been found out in the last while, which is not good for any industry, and it needs to be sorted out.

Whether it is England or elsewhere, people bring their pets to different countries, even on holiday, and this is about how we look after them. They deserve dignity.

People need to understand the issues surrounding foxes, deer, etc., in different areas. Rural parts of Ireland are managed landscapes. If foxes are not controlled, we will end up with the old fox waggling along a road with the hair nearly gone off him. That is the reality. People might not like to hear it but that is what happens. Do we want to see him killed with a car or dying a slow death? If they get too old, unfortunately that is what ends up happening. We saw the same problems in the deer sector.

Throughout Ireland, as Deputy Kenny rightly pointed out, the dog nearly every night in rural parts of Ireland sleeps under the blankets on the bed. There is more thought won by it than nearly anyone else in the house. That is a true reflection. The minute a person arrives, the dog welcomes him or her. He is the one friend that will come out to see a person when everyone else is in bed. That is how those in rural parts of Ireland live. They treat things with respect and they love their animals. We are brought up in rural parts of Ireland to respect our animals in particular. Perhaps there are not enough people in the ISPCA, etc., and resources need to be invested to ensure that the regulation, which is already there, is working.

There is another thing that people need to understand. It was referred to earlier. Perhaps a farmer has health issues and gets sick. I will tell the House what happens for those who do not understand it. Be it day or night, neighbours come around and help the person, and they look after their animals as well as their own.

That happens in every village around this country and it is great that it does every day of the week.

With live exports, we would want to watch where we are going in all of this as there is a commercial interest in this and other countries. It is well known that in some countries in Europe, other interests are paying people to ensure there are protests against live exports. I can tell Members tonight that if a ship is going from Ireland, there are regulations governing the treatment of animals on it. Sometimes we give out about a ship being held up because of licensing and all of that. In fairness, to say something about the Department, it is doing its job well in that respect. An animal on a boat tonight may be treated better than a person in a hospital accident and emergency department. That is a fact. This minute in any part of rural Ireland, if a person wants a doctor, it would take an hour. If anything is wrong with an animal, a vet would attend in ten to 15 minutes to ensure the animal would be looked after.

Cattle are either slaughtered in Ireland or exported. There are lairage facilities and some people do not understand them. Videos have been sent to me by people who, sadly, do not understand the position. First, the video would be of cattle in some other country not in the European Union as the cattle did not even have tags. Second, they were in a one-man showband in some part of the world we do not know. People need to get the facts on what Ireland does. We have strict regulation in this country and in fairness to the Department, they are enforced fairly well. Ballinasloe Horse Fair was mentioned earlier and people from the Department go around there every day making sure things are done right.

Are we going to go down the road saying that the fish in the bowl that the youngster got for Christmas is a victim of cruelty? What about the bird in the cage in most towns and cities around the country? Does that amount to animal cruelty? We must decide what we are talking about. People need to understand we treat animals as we are taught to when growing up. People in rural parts of Ireland do not just see a horse when they are 20. They may be brought up from a nipper with such animals. They might be brought up with cattle, sheep or whatever, but they are taught to respect them and be kind to them. In some parts of the country I do not like to see small areas in which horses are confined, and in my opinion there is not enough fodder or facilities. In such cases, people cannot give them the same respect as they get in other parts of the country.

Nobody questions that there must be good animal welfare not alone in Ireland but in every country. If I have a car and I sell it to someone in Cork, how can I know what that person will do down the road in a year or two or three? I am not responsible for that person. My way of life is to treat an animal, car or whatever I have with respect while I have it. Ultimately, we must ensure we do everything as well as possible. In fairness to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, although I fight with its staff on many things, with animal welfare around the country in marts, factories and export facilities, it is pretty much on the ball. Those staff do not let much pass. They will ensure things are done right, which is correct.

When cattle are going to a foreign land, it is a long trip, but many people have sailed to America on a boat. There are better facilities on that ship than were available when people travelled years ago, and rightly so. I agree with that. We need to understand the context of what we are doing. Whether we like it or not, farmers must make a living. One cannot keep every animal and look at them for the rest of one's life, petting them in the garden. A farmer would not survive like that. Cattle will clearly be fattened and killed. That is a reality in any walk of life. It is the same with chickens and other animals. By all means we must ensure we have proper regulation and enough people on the ground to enforce it. I agree with that 100%. Nevertheless, we must consider this in a proper context.

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