Dáil debates

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Export of Greyhounds

4:35 pm

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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56. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to intervene in the crisis surrounding Irish greyhounds being transported to China; and if he accepts that he has a specific role to play in prohibiting Irish greyhounds from being transported to countries where they face cruelty and abuse, given his funding of Bord na gCon. [14518/16]

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Parliamentary Question No. 56 is in the name of Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and it is being taken by Deputy Clare Daly.

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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All exporters of dogs are required to provide animal health and welfare certification in respect of compliance with identification requirements, fitness for the intended journey, health status and rabies vaccination requirements. Once these animal certification requirements are met, dogs, including greyhounds, may be exported internationally. Exporters are also required to comply with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1 of 2005 on the protection of animals during transport. 

I am aware that a very small number of greyhounds have been exported to Macau in the past two months. I understand that Bord na gCon, which is responsible for the governance, regulation and development of the greyhound industry in the Republic as well as the well-being of greyhounds, has developed a code of practice on the welfare of greyhounds. This sets out specific standards that all individuals engaged in the care and management of registered greyhounds are expected to meet. The code emphasises that owners and keepers must take full responsibility for the physical and social well-being of greyhounds in line with best welfare practice.

Oversight mechanisms in place regarding greyhound exports include inter-agency co-operation, co-operation with fellow members of the International Greyhound Forum and mechanisms relating to intelligence and information which is received from welfare officers during the course of investigations carried out under the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011. Where any breaches of welfare standards are identified under that Act, Bord na gCon takes stringent actions and prosecutions ensue in accordance with the Act.

Officials of my Department have recently met with representatives of Bord na gCon and the welfare members of the International Greyhound Forum - represented by the ISPCA and Dogs Trust here in Ireland - to consider the issues surrounding the export of greyhounds. Bord na gCon advises all owners involved in the export of greyhounds to export only to destinations with high animal welfare standards and that provide the expected levels of greyhound care and management as defined under the code internationally, and I endorse this view. I point out, however, that international trade takes place in a legally complex environment and that national legislation is not legally binding on activities in other states.

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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If the Minister of State has met representatives of the ISPCA, he will know that it, the Irish Blue Cross and Dogs Trust are implacably opposed to the export of greyhounds to China. The Minister of State's response today is contradictory, as were the responses of his predecessors. On the one hand, as the Minister of State has tried to do today, we have been told previously that once the appropriate animal health and welfare certificate requirements are met in transit it does not really matter what happens to them at the end of their journey. However, contradicting that is the fact that in March of this year the Department blocked the Irish Greyhound Board from exporting dogs to China because of animal welfare concerns.

The reality is that the practice, which poses significant danger to the dogs involved, is continuing. The practice has been highlighted internationally by animal welfare organisations and has got quite a lot of global attention. Deputy O'Sullivan's question is seeking the intervention of the Minister of State in this situation and for him to play a role. To be honest, he can, because his predecessor has done it before, and the circumstances mean he should do it in this case, particularly to be in line with the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011. This Act states that anyone who trades, transports, rears or trains a greyhound has to have due regard to a code of practice. It includes situations where they are being traded and transported, so the final destination is key. If they are going to end up at a destination where they are going to be discarded, mauled and end up undoubtedly dead, we should stop that practice.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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As the time available has elapsed, I ask the Minster of State to correspond with the Deputy on the question.