Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

I am lost for words. I assume I am to conclude Second Stage. I had not expected the debate to move so quickly, but I have been impressed with the level of contribution from both sides of the House. We are all in agreement that the legislation is necessary and brings the industry into the 21st century. I am mindful that some of the legislation involved in this area dates back to the foundation of the State. Modernising the legislation is proper, therefore, and putting in place more rigorous standards for the breeding of greyhounds makes sense.

It also makes sense to reflect the many concerns about animal welfare. Something that has characterised this Government is a greater interest in ensuring animal welfare is protected, as seen in some of the legislation that was before us in the past three or four years. This Bill has received a great amount of cross-party support. I look forward to Opposition amendments, as we are ad idem on this matter. We all recognise the future role of the greyhound industry in providing employment to thousands, if not tens of thousands, of families. We all recognise the role of tourism in this context, that is, people travelling to Ireland to have a night out at the dogs at the country's many tracks, and that such nights out can play a great part in one's social life. We recognise the considerable improvement at many tracks in recent years. We are looking beyond seeing a night at the dogs in an isolated manner. It is part of a package, a social experience that we can market better in the months and years to come. We need legislation in place to reinforce the progress made to date and to bring the care and welfare of greyhounds into a modern environment. All this can be done through the details in this legislation.

I welcome the concerns put by both sides of the House in this debate and I look forward to seeing the legislation progress. Instead of being overly complex, it mainly comprises simple, important improvements that are not only in the industry's interests but also in the interests of animal welfare and of those who go for nights out at the dogs. The Bill's provisions reflect best practice abroad. It is important that Ireland leads in terms of improving the industry. Other countries with greyhound industries will benefit from what we are doing.