John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I support Senator Coffey's amendment. As the amendment makes perfect sense, I do not understand Senator Ó Brolcháin's comments. It proposes that local authorities should be able to appoint as authorised inspectors officials such as litter wardens who double up as dog wardens and are known as community wardens or by similar names in certain local authorities. Such persons and veterinary inspectors employed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are a wholly appropriate group of people to be employed in the inspection of dog breeding premises.

It is almost unbelievable that if passed the Bill will allow people with a direct and specific interest in this area to carry out inspections of dog breeding premises. Inspections should be carried out by someone who is independent and removed from the argument surrounding the issue. Community alert and neighbourhood watch committees do not and should not investigate crime. The proposed measure is similar.