Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

I absolutely agree with the Deputy that more needs to be done in this area. The whole area of dog breeding is a huge industry at the moment. The 2019 Act was a very progressive start but we must revisit it and probably update it. I have always been a huge advocate of animal welfare. We must always strive to continue to do more to promote a better culture of animal welfare, whether it is for dogs, cats, horses or whatever. I want to acknowledge the hundreds of animal welfare groups around the country. They do receive funding from the Department of agriculture but it is not enough. They need more. Unfortunately, they have to rely on their own fundraising mechanisms too much and we need to resource them a little bit better. I want give a particular shout out to the DEEL Sighthound Rescue organisation in Limerick, Star Rescue and Limerick Animal Welfare. I have first-hand knowledge of the very fine work they do.

I want to refer to the 2010 Act. I remember, because I was here, when the then Minister, John Gormley, brought in the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill. The Opposition at the time cynically used it as a ploy or political tactic to try to wind up everyone involved in outdoor pursuits, whether they were gun clubs, hunting clubs or fishing clubs, that this was going to be the thin end of the wedge and that the Government had a covert agenda of trying to shut down outdoor activities.

It was brilliant legislation at the time. It needs to be updated now and it needs to be better resourced, but at the time, it brought in a regulatory regime around puppy farms and breeding establishments which had got out of control. The ironic thing about it was that John Gormley brought it in in 2010. There was an election in 2011. Parties swapped over and one of the first things then Minister, Phil Hogan, did was commence the legislation when the Opposition of the time was cynical.

I remember when I was canvassing for the 2016 election, I went into a farmyard and met a fella who said he had had strong, robust words with me back in 2010 about the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. He said I told him what it was about, but he did not agree with me and did not believe me at the time. He wanted to compliment me because what I had said was right. A few years later, people saw the good in it. Unfortunately, a lot of groups were misled at the time. That legislation needs to be updated because 2010 was 15 years ago at this point. A lot of people do a lot of good work on animal welfare.

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