Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

This section provides that, upon conviction, a person may be disqualified from owning or having an interest in animals or be disqualified from working with animals for a period including, where appropriate, the life of the person as the court considers appropriate. This provision appears harsh. I have examined the position in this regard in other jurisdictions in Europe and the United States. Various states in the US are in the process of passing animal health and welfare legislation and in most cases a defined period of disqualification, such as three or five years, is provided for. Under this section, a judge may rule that a person may be disqualified from owning an animal for life.