Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Senator Grace O'Sullivan on her election and wish her the very best of luck in her new role as an MEP. She will be a great loss to this House. She is the third member of the agricultural panel to move on for one reason or another since we were elected. As someone on that panel a small bit of me thinks long may it continue.

I want to raise the same issue as Senator Feighan. It is with a heavy heart that I must discuss the horrific and very distressing scenes broadcast last night. I welcome the recent introduction of the Greyhound Racing Act 2019. I know that the legislation is in its infancy and probably has not reached full fruition yet. However, it gives the power to the Irish Greyhound Board and Bord na gCon and, indeed, the Irish Coursing Club, ICC, to enact far greater traceability methods within the greyhound industry and the studbook. It is vitally important that this is acted on immediately. There needs to be full traceability from a greyhound's birth until its death and every movement needs to be recorded.

I know that no licences have been granted to export greyhounds to either China or Pakistan but they are getting there through the back door. I insist that no licences are granted if applications are received.

We need to strengthen the legislation. As late as last week Department officials attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Fianna Fáil group, in particular Deputy Jackie Cahill, requested them to attend to discuss horse and dog welfare. That discussion needs to be continued and acted on, and there needs to be far more than just a discussion. The content of the programme that was broadcast last night was horrific and distressing. Everybody here knows that I am into greyhound racing and horse racing so I know that the vast majority of people who are involved in both sports love their animals like they would a human being. Unfortunately, a small minority of people bring things down and I hope there is not a kneejerk reaction to the programme. There needs to be swift and immediate action. We cannot legislate for what goes on in China and Pakistan other than try to keep our dogs out of there. I want to stress for the benefit of the Minister that what we witnessed happening in Irish knackeries that was broadcast last night was a total disgrace and is unacceptable behaviour, which is something we can act on. I plead with the Minister to take action as early as this morning on reviewing the re-licensing of any Irish knackery that performs in a fashion that was witnessed last night on television. It was utterly deplorable and disgraceful and put us to shame. In fact, it put us in the same window as the Chinese and Pakistanis, which is unacceptable and something we can act on. That is the first piece of action that needs to be taken on the back of last night's programme.