Results 241-260 of 5,615 for speaker:Andrew Doyle

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...

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

Andrew Doyle: Those data are not stored on the microchip. The microchip obviously stays with the animal. There are also ear markings. We can get up-to-date figures from Bord na gCon as to whether it is 80%, 85% 90% or whatever. We can then get the percentage that are rehomed. We are then left with a small cohort. What we are left with then is the total of number of canines exported and where they were...

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

Andrew Doyle: They were subsequently registered there.

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

Andrew Doyle: No.

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

Andrew Doyle: I do not intend to move the amendment at this time.

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

Andrew Doyle: I am pleased to be back here so swiftly to deal with the Committee Stage amendments to the Bill I introduced here last week. Section 1 provides for the Short Title and collective citation of the Bill. The amendments are very simple and of a typographical nature.

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

Andrew Doyle: I thank the Senators for their comments. I will stick to the Greyhound Racing Bill in my contribution. Regarding the amendment in the names of Senators Ruane, Black, Grace O'Sullivan and Higgins, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, commissioned Indecon consultants in 2014 to carry out a review of certain matters relating to Bord na gCon. That report made...

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

Andrew Doyle: I want to reiterate that the Indecon report on matters relating to Bord na gCon recommended a skilled board rather than a representative board, so the representatives are bound to be skilled. We are caught here between vested interests being needed, on the one hand, and, on the other, excessive vested interests not being a good thing. Let us be clear about it. This is a balancing act. As...

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

Andrew Doyle: This amendment is of a typographical nature. We are adding the word "or".

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

Andrew Doyle: It is a standing position for Members of the Oireachtas and the European Parliament since members of State boards have a fiduciary function and duty to the boards and there is always a risk of a conflict of interest, as opposed to the time involved or duties of somebody who is a legislator and policy maker. That is the rationale. If it was to be changed, it would be the subject of a wider...

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

Andrew Doyle: I do not.