Seanad debates

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

12:00 pm

Photo of Maurice CumminsMaurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

A former Member of the House, Déirdre de Búrca, has said that, even with the proposed charges and licensing regime, local authorities will still have a shortfall of €1.6 million. These charges will have an effect on local authorities and, in turn, taxpayers. I agree with what the Minister is trying to do. As I mentioned, when I raised the issue of puppy farms in the House six years ago, I was one of the first Senators to do so. We need to regulate certain practices and eliminate others, but the measures proposed by the Minister in the Bill go way beyond this. He is trying to regulate a well regulated industry which is in trouble. He should go back to the drawing board and return with a proper Bill we could all support. Such a Bill should eliminate puppy farms, which is what this legislation was supposed to be about. I do not know why the Minister has gone beyond this. Perhaps he has been listening to people with other views on these matters. I refer to animal welfare and animal liberation groups, for example, which may have wanted to have their say on the Bill. I suggest the Minister's proposals will defeat what he genuinely intended to do in this legislation.

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