Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

-----although I know a lot about dogs. My dog is certainly not a show dog. My understanding is one cannot dock a dog's tail for display purposes. I am pretty confident about that. Perhaps I am wrong but if it is taking place, my view is that I do not think we should allow it. We should not dock a dog's tail to make it look pretty. If there is a reason to dock a dog's tail in terms of the activities it is involved in such as hunting, if they are likely to get injured or if there is an infection risk that docking a dog's tail would prevent – that holds true for other animals also – then there is a reason to do it.

There may be a reason to dock a dog or another animal's tail, for example, if it is used in hunting, if it is likely to be injured or if there is a risk of infection that can be avoided. If I am wrong or anyone wants to correct me-----