Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party)

That is not correct. It is only veterinary partitioners who are working for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Private veterinary practitioners, as laid out by the Bill, are well qualified people with many years experience as veterinarians. They have worked with dogs all their lives and are well respected by the greyhound industry and every other industry. It would not be possible for local authorities to employ those people.

It is also extraordinary that Fine Gael, which currently controls most of the local authorities is considering that it would be unacceptable to have the double safeguard of a local authority appointing a country veterinary practitioner and that country veterinary practitioner being suitable to the local authority. That is not possible under this amendment unless that person is employed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This amendment is nonsense. That is what is needed. This Bill will allow people who have a great deal of experience in the area of dog control to work in that area. It will allow local authorities to appoint such people. There is a safeguard in the Bill.

The Senator talked about mad animal rights liberation people or whoever who-----