Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to speak on behalf of the Labour Party in support of the key principle and purpose of this Bill, namely, to introduce a statutory prohibition on fur farming. Speaking for the Labour Party, and as a long-standing advocate for animal rights, I am very glad to see this legislation come before us. It is receiving a very broad welcome, which is good to see. There is a growing acceptance of the need for such a prohibition, as others have said. We are also all conscious of the need to ensure a just transition because of the fact that jobs that will be affected by this. For that reason, I am also glad to see the compensation scheme provided for in such detail in the legislation. That is very welcome.

I am conscious that although this is directly an animal welfare and health Bill, and very welcome in that regard, we are debating it, as it happens, just as the Government's climate action plan is being published. I thank the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Ryan, and his officials, for putting in place earlier today a very useful and valuable briefing with Opposition spokespersons, including me, on climate, at which we discussed and heard directly from the Minister what is in the climate action plan. The reason I mention it in the context of this Bill is that the climate action plan provides a very welcome requirement for policy coherence and joined-up thinking across all Departments on measures to tackle the climate crisis and the climate emergency.

A key part of that is ensuring greater biodiversity through robust and effective legislation on animal rights and welfare and on protection of our wildlife and natural and wonderful biodiversity. Even though I am a Deputy for an urban area in Dublin Bay South, we have immense biodiversity and a huge amount of great natural amenities in my local community of Portobello. Where I live along the canal, there is a huge number of wildlife and a very good service offered by the council and Waterways Ireland, in many ways, to ensure wildlife, such as the swans on the canal and so on, is protected. That is also the case in Dublin Bay, although we can do much more to ensure better water quality and, therefore, protection of marine life in our waters. I am working with the Minister's colleagues in Government on that along with NGOs such as SOS Dublin Bay.

This Bill is part of an overall package of measures that we need to see adopted across all of Government, with constructive support from the Opposition to ensure there are major benefits to our communities from promotion of biodiversity and a joined-up policy like that enumerated in the climate action plan. This will ensure better protection of animals and wildlife and that we have more sustainable cities and communities in line with our sustainable development goals, SDG, 11, to which we have such a commitment.

I will not speak for long. I am not the agriculture spokesperson, but I am very glad to speak in support of the Bill and to reiterate my support, and that of the Labour Party, for this important measure, which will see us finally move to a prohibition on fur farming in the interests of animal health, welfare and rights.

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