Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for the greyhound sector, I have already expressed my deep concern at the issues highlighted in the RTÉ programme broadcast on 26 June. I wish to again reassure the House that the Department takes any allegations of breaches of animal welfare rules very seriously and will thoroughly investigate and take the necessary enforcement actions to deal with such offences.

The new Greyhound Racing Act 2019 passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas, with the assistance and input of Deputies, recently and was signed into law last month. I am confident the new Act will: improve the governance of Bord na gCon; strengthen regulatory controls in the industry; modernise sanctions; and improve integrity within the sector. Under the Act, Bord na gCon may make regulations to require the registration of greyhound owners, the registration of racing greyhounds and the notification by owners, breeders and trainers of greyhounds of many more life events compared with those currently captured on existing studbook and microchipping databases.

These regulations will support the board in its ambition to establish and maintain a new comprehensive tracing database for racing greyhounds and will provide greater powers to deal with areas such as anti-doping, integrity and sanctions, the need for which has only been further underlined by what we saw recently. It is deeply frustrating that the breaches of animal welfare that were highlighted by RTÉ have come to light in the year that saw the largest ever allocation of funding, of €2,751,000, to animal welfare organisations. A total of 108 organisations are benefitting under these arrangements and I appreciate the valuable work these organisations do to protect the welfare of animals on a daily basis. An animal welfare lo-call helpline is in place, along with a dedicated email address, which facilitates the reporting by members of the public of any suspicion that animal cruelty is taking place. All calls received are treated in confidence and are followed up by authorised officers of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I urge anyone who has witnessed a breach of animal welfare rules to use this facility.

I take this opportunity to highlight some of what has been achieved for animal welfare by this Government. The Government has demonstrated a strong and consistent record regarding the enforcement of animal welfare rules, including the review of 100 years of animal welfare legislation, leading to the enactment of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Since then, a total of 73 successful prosecutions have been taken under the Act, with a further 30 prosecutions for welfare abuses currently being processed. The use of wild animals in circuses was banned in 2017 and this week, the Government has taken the decision in principle to ban fur farming over a phased period. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, will bring forward the general scheme of a Bill to the Government to provide for this ban without delay.

I stress that the Department does not issue certificates for the export of greyhounds to China or Pakistan and no certificates have been issued for the export of greyhounds from Ireland to either of those destinations since I was appointed as Minister of State. I can also confirm that the Department is engaging in a review of the licensing conditions in knackeries, with regard to the practices seen on RTÉ's "Prime Time Investigates" programme. All allegations will be examined to determine the appropriate actions needed. I also understand that coursing activity on Whiddy Island will be investigated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, and will be pursued by the relevant authorities. I fully understand and empathise with the views and concerns of members of the public and their response to the contents of this programme, which undermined our deeply felt national attachment to the care and welfare of all animals. In recent days, Bord na gCon, the IGB, has published the first steps of its action plan to strengthen traceability, re-homing and welfare standards by improved regulation, more inspections and the use of greater resources in these areas.

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