Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I listened with interest to some of my colleagues speaking about the roadshow that Deputy McConalogue is currently undertaking. I wish he would include a stop in this House as part of his roadshow because I cannot get a response to the emails I have sent to him. I have requested a meeting with him three times regarding the lack of enforcement of animal welfare laws, particularly in respect of dogs.This is not the first time I have raised the issue in the House. I raise it again because anybody who watched the BBC's "Spotlight" investigative report last night will have been deeply disturbed by the fact Ireland, as an island, is being used to smuggle puppies into Britain from its ports. This is enabling criminal gangs to make millions of euro and depriving Revenue of millions of euro in tax and it is down to a complete lack of enforcement of the existing laws. While we need better co-operation between the authorities North and South, there is a raft of animal welfare laws in this country and they are just not being enforced. That is not good enough. There are fake microchip numbers, fake dog-breeding numbers and fake seller numbers on websites. Illegal adverts are reported daily by animal welfare organisations but, as yet, even though the regulations have been in place since 2020, not one enforcement case has been taken against an illegal advert on online platforms. It is not good enough. The Minister needs to answer the case.

In June of this year, on my request, Dogs Trust appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Its representatives outlined how simple it would be to fix this. There could be a pre-verification system and a national database including the microchip, the dog-breeding licence number and the online sales licence number. That advert would not be able to be posted until it was pre-verified, which would save the welfare organisations all the work of having to manage these sites. Equally, a microchip system could be put in place just like the system for cars. After a number is entered, the system would identify the breed and age of the dog and the name of the person to whom it is registered. This is not rocket science.

The programme for Government promised to strengthen guidelines and dog-breeding regulations but that is not forthcoming. In light of last night's television programme, there is an anomaly in the Animal Health and Welfare Act, which the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, DSPCA, one of the authorities that, unfortunately, has to seize these puppies at the ports, has outlined. It will come before the Oireachtas committee in November to outline the anomaly. When it seizes these puppies, it cannot rehome them within five days, as it could if it had seized them under the Control of Dogs Act. Instead, it has to hold on to the dogs for up to 18 months while the legal proceedings happen. That is bad for both the dog and the animal welfare organisation.

I would welcome the Minister coming before the House. The Leader might write to him inviting him to appear in order that we can have a debate on animal welfare and the lack of enforcement. I cannot get an answer from him, so perhaps this House can.