John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

This amendment refers to the regulations of 1961 which define a stipendiary steward as a "steward appointed by the Board to fulfil the duties of an authorised officer under the [1958] Act". I proposed that a stipendiary steward or veterinary practitioner may accompany a local authority veterinary inspector for the inspection of premises containing registered greyhounds under the amendment to section 18, which deals with authorised persons.

The purpose of this amendment is to make the inspection and improvement order process transparent to the Irish Coursing Club and Irish Greyhound Board and hence to reduce their concerns in that regard. It will become apparent that well-run dog breeding establishments with or without greyhounds will have nothing to fear from inspections of this sort.