John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I will try to be clear and precise, as Senators have requested. It needs to be understood this is an animal welfare Bill. I accept that the 1958 Act which has been mentioned was introduced to encourage the greyhound industry. I ask Senators to believe me when I say I am not trying to undermine the greyhound industry in any way. I hope they accept my bona fides in that regard. I am trying to provide adequate protection for dogs. Those citing the 1958 Act are doing so erroneously. It is not about animal protection or welfare.

I would like to give the House some statistics to emphasise the difficulties we are facing in the greyhound sector. I have received statistics about this breed from all parts of the country. In 2008 some 1,045 greyhounds were put to sleep. That represents approximately 10% of the 10,069 dogs put to sleep in Ireland in that year. As a percentage of all dogs put to sleep in each local authority area, greyhounds accounted for a range from 0% in the Westmeath County Council area to 38% in the Galway City Council area. The Galway figure may be an anomaly, as it may be the case that the Galway city pound takes many dogs from rural parts of County Galway. When I examined these statistics, it was clear to me that we had a problem with stray greyhounds. It appears that when greyhounds are no longer useful as racing animals, they are often dispensed with. We have to examine all the animal welfare issues that arise in that context.

I am listening to what Senators are saying. If they want me to ask my officials to ensure all our bases are covered, in terms of legislation, I will do so. I am the last person who wants this to be challenged in a court, as suggested by Senator Paddy Burke. I will return on Report Stage to ensure all i's are dotted and all t's crossed.

Senator Rónán Mullen inquired about hunt clubs. As I stated earlier, they are not exempted from inspection. I took into account that they operate on a not-for-profit basis. While I may have the chip on both shoulders, I hope it is a balanced approach.