Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman. I welcome the chance to speak on this Bill. As outlined by my colleagues in Sinn Féin who spoke previously, I, too, am supporting this legislation. I also commend my fellow Wexford man, the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, on bringing forward this Bill. The Bill is welcome because it seeks to tackle aspects of white collar crime, corruption, fraud, tax evasion and specific offences against the EU's financial interests and, therefore, Ireland's interests. We know that these types of crime embezzle millions of euro of taxpayers' money each year. I am sure all of us have heard and are aware of the double Irish and the treble Dutch, along with laundering of money across the European Union by well-organised criminal gangs, so the importance of tackling this problem cannot be overstated.

There has been debate and discussion on this Bill as it made its way through the Seanad. I have read the contributions so far to the Second Stage debate here in the Dáil so I will not cover old ground. However, I understand that an amendment has been tabled on this Stage regarding animal theft. As this is an issue of great concern by pet owners in Wexford, I would appreciate a little time to speak on it.

The theft of pets is on the increase. Arguably, it is fast becoming a lucrative source of finance for the criminal fraternity who are also connected to illegal puppy farms. On the other hand, it is a very distressing crime for pet owners and that needs to be dealt with. I appreciate the intent behind the amendment. The amendment states that pets are much more than property. I certainly agree with that position especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when animals have played a huge role in providing essential comfort and support to many families and isolated citizens. We need to be careful not to delay the passing of this Bill as this amendment would do.

In the interim, there are other things the Minister of State could do to prevent animal theft. First, microchipping must be promoted and every local authority should have a scanner to assist in reconnecting families with their lost or stolen pets. Second, existing laws to protect pets must be implemented. Since 1 February 2020 we have regulations on the sale and supply of pets. Despite animal welfare organisations reporting hundreds of illegal advertisements the Government has confirmed to Sinn Féin that it has yet to bring forward an infringement case. If we are to have confidence in any changes in law to protect against this crime, existing laws need to be better enforced.

The Government also needs to put resources in place to collate all the data on dog breeders, sellers and microchip numbers to create an accessible central database. The creation of such a database would not only tackle the illegal sale of animals online but would also make it much harder for unscrupulous dog breeders to operate. There is much more that the Government can do in tackling this distressing crime, although it may not be through this specific Bill, which is very important to curtail white collar crime.

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