Results 5,361-5,380 of 5,615 for speaker:Andrew Doyle

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (23 Oct 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I take on board the comments made by the Senators. Perhaps there is clarification needed about where agreement is reached. Perhaps it has not been established that a dog has either been subject to a ban or banned for some other reason such as the one outlined by Senator Butler. Where a dog may be the subject of a sanction, we can clarify what that entails, perhaps in a Report Stage amendment.

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I thank Senators Ruane and Ó Domhnaill for the amendments. I hope it was helpful to have time outside of the Chamber to discuss some of the concerns. I propose to address amendments Nos. 7 to 16, inclusive, together. With regard to amendments Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, 11 to 13, inclusive, and 15, I am opposed in principle to compelling Rásaíocht Con Éireann to make...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators. To clarify the position for Senator Higgins, I have dealt with amendment No. 14. I note that, as currently drafted, section 29 states: "The Board, after consultation with the Minister, may make regulations for the health and welfare of racing greyhounds in relation to the following". I tried to explain that the word "may" is used specifically for...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I addressed that issue. To return to section 29, we should be wary in this regard because these provisions provide an extra layer of protection for racing animals that is intended to bolster rather than conflict with existing legislation. That is the important point. Sanctions can be applied under these provisions, as opposed to taking action through the criminal law, as provided for in...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I know these are sincerely held views and I hope Senator Ruane can accept we are trying to make this legislation work. That is the bottom line. This is for racing greyhounds so that there can be sanctions in the same way as with breaches in other areas. We have gone through this list of breaches, whether on traceability or anything else. Sections 26, 27 and 28 deal extensively with the...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: If we look at section 29(2) it states: "A person who contravenes a regulation made under this section, and which is stated in the regulations to be a racing sanction provision, commits a sanction breach of the Racing code and is liable to a racing sanction." It is important to point out that this carries a lower burden of proof than an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. I...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: Amendments Nos. 8a, 8c and 8e are to correct errors of a typographical or technical nature in particular. Amendment 8e corrects the original wording which suggested that the control committee had discretion in deciding the period during which a greyhound may not race following an adverse analytical finding and subsequent clear test. In fact, the period is decided by the board based on the...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: On Senator Ó Domhnaill's amendments, the proposals for strict zero tolerance and a four-month minimum ban are rooted in the legislation as drafted. The applicable clause is based on scientific data and evidence. I accept what the Senator said about Australia and their laboratory levels but our equipment is so sophisticated now that it can detect levels that are minuscule and...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: As it stands at the moment, Bord na gCon has a scientific advisory committee that advises on thresholds. The equipment it has is very sophisticated. As far as I am aware, it has decided to publish every result, every positive finding, no matter how minuscule. Once that finding is published, it is determined to be a positive. Scientific data is used to determine whether the levels...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: The Senator referenced international best practice. Even by his own admission in respect of the Australian model, he said zero tolerance is not zero levels. The inference is that zero tolerance is zero tolerance of the infringement. Zero levels is slightly different. I believe we are on the same page here. We both want zero tolerance. I refer to Senator Ruane's analogy. Dogs and...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: Did I? I am not sure.

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: A muzzle. I could not get the word.

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: Section 31 goes into further detail but section 30 is basically concerned with the ability to grant, refuse or revoke a licence and nothing more than that. It is related to the overarching principle while the specifics are dealt with in other sections, including sections 26 and 31. Is that okay?

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: Section 33 deals with the revocation or suspension of licences, permits or approvals. The amendment relates to a breach of racing regulations specific to the use of controlled or prohibited substances. Such sanction breaches are the domain of the control committee and appeal committee, not the board. Revocations and suspensions by the board relate to administrative matters including, for...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I will speak to the two amendments separately. I will deal first with amendment No. 16bwhich concerns the maximum number of terms a member of the control committee can serve. It is standard practice and in compliance with the code of governance for control committee members to serve two terms. In the pre-legislative scrutiny process the joint committee recognised that it might be difficult...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I should have corrected the point when the Senator said the control committee was a sub-committee. It is not; it is an independent committee, as is the appeals committee. It is proposed that a panel of eight will constitute the control committee. A hearing will require the presence of the chairperson or vice chairperson, plus two members. Anyone with a conflict of interest will have to...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I will try to stick with the dogs issue.

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I shall discuss amendments Nos. 17 to 19, inclusive, together. The aim of the Senators proposing the amendments is commendable and understandable. They are concerned with the welfare of greyhounds. Even if it were legally possible to ban the export of greyhounds to certain countries, I would not be convinced that the amendments proposed would have the effect desired by the Senators. The...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: I am not here to defend any other country’s record on animal welfare but we must be clear that, setting aside the unworkability of the amendments, any legislation banning the exportation of greyhounds to certain countries would face significant legal difficulties. The Department examined this issue. We sought and obtained legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General on the...

Seanad: Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

Andrew Doyle: The number of dogs going to the UK is extrapolated from the number of Irish greyhounds registered with Bord na gCon that subsequently show up as registered in the UK. We can get an update on the figure. I am told it is a good bit higher than 85%. On the animals rehomed in the countries I outlined, because the Department issues a passport, it can correlate with the first registration so that...