Seanad debates

Thursday, 27 January 2022

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is obvious from some of the engagement that most Members had their Weetabix this morning. It was lovely that the "C" word was only mentioned once in the five pages of notes I made this morning. It is great to be back to normal. I hope by next week we will be back to normal in the Chamber, sitting close to each other and working collectively as we normally do.

I thank Senator McGreehan for raising the issue of dog attacks on sheep. I welcome the statements this morning by the Ministers, Deputies McConalogue and Humphreys. I live beside a very large sheep farm. In the past week, the farmer posted up some pictures of what is absolute devastation. There is the normal outcry about dogs but the Senator is absolutely right that it is not the dogs' fault but the owners' fault. In Ireland we have a high rate of dog ownership and we love dogs. Most people have one dog, if not a few of them, but we must be responsible and recognise that we are talking about people's livelihoods and that sheep are also living breathing animals to be cared for, as well as everything else. I thank the Senator for raising the issue this morning.

Senator Ó Donnghailewill be pleased to know that the Fine Gael Party will introduce a Private Members' motion in the Seanad next Wednesday to discuss exactly the topic he and others have raised in recent days. The matter is as important as the Senator stressed in his contribution. It is very important to get the Passport Office back in to the House to give us a new briefing. It is taking on 300 new staff and there is a proposal for the office to operate seven days a week as opposed to five days. We all have good and positive suggestions to get ready for what will be an onslaught this year as people look for travel documents, which is great. I just want to let the Senator know that.

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