Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I acknowledge the efforts made by the Minister to extend the period. However, I remind him that Fine Gael proposed an amendment as a reasonable approach and to ensure a full stakeholder buy-in to the legislation. On earlier Stages we suggested it should be extended from three months to one year. However, at the time the Minister did not entertain this opinion or idea. Now we see he has come around to this way of thinking after much grief, torment and public debate on the issue. It is important that we indicate that these matters were raised in good time for him and his officials to amend the Bill to allow for the use of common sense. I recall his answer at the time was that people should be well aware of the provisions of the Bill because the working group had been in place since 2005. I considered that was very unfair to all stakeholders. The small guys down the country would not have been aware of the workings of the working group, not all of whom were represented on it. There was one representative from the greyhound industry. I do not think the breeders' association was represented. People would not have been aware of the lead-in period.

Despite all of the public debate on this matter in recent weeks, I still contend that some people have establishments that will need to be redeveloped and, possibly, rebuilt. For that reason, we submitted that the lead-in period should be extended to one year to allow such persons to get their house in order via the obtaining of planning permission. If a person breeding greyhounds or pups submits an application to the local authority, as we all know, it could take up to two to three months in the normal course of events for the application to be processed and a decision made. If a neighbour or someone else objects to that application, it will go to An Bord Pleanála and take quite a long time more. At least people should be given that opportunity to see through the planning process and that is why my party felt a year would be more appropriate. The six months is a compromise on the Minister's behalf. He might clarify that for us, but it does not go far enough. My party felt a year would be more appropriate to allow people get their building establishments in order if they needed to.

It was highlighted that standards will be required and I still have not see the regulations concerned. The Minister might clarify whether they have been published. I do not think they have. Those regulations, on the housing conditions and the physical environment that will be required for these establishments, will be important. The Minister could opt for a two-star establishment or he might even like a five-star establishment for these puppies, but maybe a two-star one is acceptable. Until we see these standards we will not know. It will have a bearing on planning applications and a year would be more appropriate. Six months is an improvement but it does not go far enough.