David Norris (Independent)

That is a relevant question to be asked. I see no difficulty with the fees for the dog breeding establishments.

This country is known as the puppy farm capital of Europe, of which we should be utterly ashamed. The conditions in which the unfortunate animals are kept are appalling. We also have dog fights taking place all over the country.

I was lobbied hard on the Bill. Given my constituency, I am, as I speak, shedding votes all over the place, but I do not give a damn. I will say what I think and what I believe is the truth. Greyhound establishments claim to be another special interest and are whinging. We all know that greyhounds are badly treated and that very often, when they finish their racing lives, they are disposed of in the most callous and disgusting way. Therefore, I very much welcome the legislation which is reasonable. It does not deal with hunting, another day's work, in which regard we will have something to say.

The Minister stated: "The limit of not fewer than six bitches will exclude the vast majority of cases where people rear dogs as pets." First, what kind of eccentric would want six bitches in a house? Second, when they have more than this, they usually mistreat the dogs and often use them for breeding purposes. I assume the word "dog", rather than "bitch", is being used as a generic term and that it indicates the species, not the particular animal. Some who are unused to the ways of the countryside, as Senator O'Toole claims to be, might find the word "bitch" offensive - I do not know.

I want to ask about one issue. The Bill is vague. The real meat will be in the regulations which is where issues will really be cured. I want to know whether the Minister will implement in the regulations the excellent recommendations of the DSPCA which deal with the provision of accommodation for dogs, the provision of sufficient space for dogs to stand, the location and construction of kennels and the partition that can be used, the amount of space for dogs to turn around and sleep, the temperature at which they should be kept, noise levels, lighting, ventilation, security, hygiene, bedding, pest control, waste disposal, dog dirt, breeding and so on. An excellent series of recommendations have been made and I strongly hope they will be followed through on by the Minister.

On a final point, a lot of other legislation is needed. For example, we have no legislation dealing with exotic pets. When I raised this matter, I was laughed at. It is very unfair to allow people to keep animals which are completely unsuited to the climate of this country in an unregulated fashion. It is also dangerous, with wild animals such as snakes and spiders escaping. Could we consider legislation in this area also?