Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Before I start, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Seán Rooney from County Donegal who was killed overnight. The country woke up to shock and horror over that. There is no doubt Seán is a hero who put his life on the line for the protection of peace in a very troubled part of the world. Donegal has gone through great suffering in recent times and it is shockingly sad to see the county again struck by such sadness. I give our solidarity and condolences to his family and friends and to Óglaigh na hÉireann on such a sad day.

I am pleased to introduce the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) (Amendment) (Pets) Bill 2021 on Second Stage on behalf of Aontú. This is the second animal welfare Bill Aontú has produced in this term. It is fair to say we have a very strong record on human welfare in the Dáil, being the only party to support human rights fully, but we are also a party very much dedicated to animal welfare and the protection of animal welfare. I thank Deputies Verona Murphy and Seán Canney, two colleagues from the Regional Group who have co-signed this Bill. Their support for the Bill is very much appreciated. I thank the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, DSPCA, and Dogs Trust Ireland which are doing great work caring for stolen and abandoned animals. Their organisations deal daily with the damage being done to pets. I also thank them for the work they have put into this Bill.

The first thing this Bill does is separate the theft of a dog or pet from the theft of a household good or inanimate object. Pets are very much central to families. In many ways they are members of families. They are great companions to children as those children grow and develop. Dogs are great company and security for older people in their twilight years. They are there to welcome us when we get home from work. They get us out for exercise and break the ice with strangers. The loss or death of a pet is a heartbreaking experience, and any family that has experienced the loss, death or theft of a dog will know it comes with grief. Most people will agree the loss of a pet is not the same as the theft of a laptop, phone or another inanimate object. It is not the same as the theft of a farmyard asset.

This Bill seeks to treat the theft of a pet differently. It seeks to recognise the value and importance of pets in family life. This Bill was born out of the experience of so many people during the Covid crisis. Many families were stuck at home and many purchased a dog as a companion. This led to the price of dogs skyrocketing and in turn a lucrative black market for dogs. Professional criminal gangs made considerable money from the theft of family pets. We have heard many stories of thieves leaving marks on the road in chalk or tying pieces of string to garden gates to identify a home to be targeted later that night. These thieves came back to steal those families' pets.

The stolen dogs are in many cases shipped to legal or illegal puppy farms in Britain. The price that some of these dogs fetch is north of €3,000. In the past couple of years, An Garda has found 32 stolen dogs which were estimated to have been worth more than €150,000. That shows the scale of the crime we are dealing with. This is big money. Professional criminal gangs are doing this type of work. Providing for a fine of €5,000 or €10,000 to try to deter that type of crime does not make sense. I do not wish for anybody to go prison but I wish for a deterrent strong enough to match the impact the crime has on families and prevent such a crime happening in the first place.

I understand the Government will support the Bill on this Stage and, if I am correct in that, I very much welcome it. We have the opportunity to make sure that what are perhaps thousands of families annually do not have to deal with the theft of a central element of their family or go through the grieving process and disaster of that. I ask for a deterrent strong enough to prevent criminals from seeking to proceed in this manner. I welcome the support of the Bill and I hope others in the Chamber will support it as well.

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