Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I welcome this amendment. Numerous Senators in this House pointed out the problem regarding dual registration costs for those involved in the greyhound industry.

An important point that applies to trainers, this amendment and all dog establishments is that this Bill will become law within the next couple of days and then it will be incumbent on all the local authorities to enforce it. I am interested to know how those who run dog breeding establishments and how the local authority officials who will be required to enforce this law can know what is required of them if we do not know now the standards and physical and technical environment that will be required of those. Have they a manual, template or guidebook to which they can refer to ensure adequate standards? It is important if we are introducing laws that the Minister would have the technical detail to back them up.

The reason I mentioned two-star versus five-star establishments is I am trying to display in simple terms the different levels that may be required. As I do not know and I am sure the Senators on the Government side do not know, how can those running these establishments or the local authority officials know what is required of them under this law? I am asking a simple question. I am just wondering. I raised on Committee Stage the issue that surely the standards or physical environment required should have been annexed as a Schedule to the Bill or that a regulation should follow. How soon will such a regulation follow? These are important points, of which those involved in the various dog breeding establishments must be aware. It is all very well to suggest we are introducing laws to improve animal welfare, but we must give those involved the benchmarks they are expected to reach. I have not seen them to date. This is a reasonable question.