Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know these are sincerely held views and I hope Senator Ruane can accept we are trying to make this legislation work. That is the bottom line. This is for racing greyhounds so that there can be sanctions in the same way as with breaches in other areas. We have gone through this list of breaches, whether on traceability or anything else. Sections 26, 27 and 28 deal extensively with the various aspects such as administrative substances, artificial insemination, traceability and database transfer. We are being consistent here and ensuring any regulations made can achieve the desired effect by being consistent with existing legislation. I do not know that it is relevant. The aim of this section of the Bill is to impose racing sanctions.

These regulations need to be compatible and state that they are health and welfare regulations for racing animals. We need to be able to apply sanctions consistent with breaches of other legislation where a different sort of penalty applies. The board may not end up having to apply regulations in every aspect of the exhaustive list that we dealt with earlier. It may or may not be necessary but it has to be compatible. We have come to an impasse here. On retired animals, it is important to point out this deals with racing animals. Retired animals may no longer be in the possession of the owner or trainer that was racing them. They are, however, certainly still protected under animal health and welfare legislation, the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 and the code of guidelines administrated by the Irish Greyhound Board, or Rásaíocht Con Éireann if this legislation is passed.