Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

As always, it is a pleasure to welcome the Minister of State back to her own House, particularly to discuss a topic that has been of huge importance to the Green Party. This legislation shows the benefit of having the Green Party in government.

My views on animal rights are not a secret and like many in this House, I abhor animal cruelty. We have a long way to go towards living in harmony with our furry, scaly and winged friends but today we are here to talk about our furry friends. I am glad to speak on behalf of the Labour Party in support of the key principle and purpose of this Bill, that is, to introduce a statutory prohibition on fur farming. Speaking for the Labour Party, and as a long-standing advocate for animal rights, I am glad to see this legislation come before us. There is a growing acceptance of the need for such prohibition and the Bill is receiving a broad welcome, which is good to see. It would be remiss of me not to say I am sad it has taken this long to get to this stage of collective agreement on the banning of the abhorrent and disgusting practice of fur farming but I suppose we should be glad we eventually got here. Hopefully no more innocent animals in Ireland will have to suffer for the sheer vanity of wanting to wear a fur pelt.

I will take this moment to note the alternatives to fur for those who want them. There are bio-based faux furs made from oil from vegetable crops, rather than the traditional petroleum oils. There is the option of using what we already have and using recycled faux fur. I am a particular dab hand at sourcing funky faux fur coats and will happily help anyone who is on the hunt for one online. We all need to move towards making better use of what we already have and have already produced in order to reduce pollution and avoid adding to our already overstuffed landfills.

We could have a conversation about going one step further than what is in this Bill and I know we cannot do that today but I would like for the Minister of State to consider this and take it back with her. We should consider our stance on the importing of fur into Ireland. Our opposition to this practice should not end with simply banning it here. We should not be funding this cruel industry globally. Fur should not be contributing to the already massive carbon footprint of fast fashion and to be perfectly honest, I would be happy to see us reach a point in Ireland where the wearing of fur is considered socially unacceptable. I am aware that this might be seen as an extremely radical position but it is one I stand by.

I have often gotten up in this House and spoken about a just transition for workers and I welcome the fact that there is provision for a compensation scheme in the Bill before us. There is no doubt that jobs will be lost because of this and it is only right and proper that the workers are compensated. Part of the compensation and assessment is regarding the proper dismantling of buildings. Particular issues were raised during the pre-legislative scrutiny on the removal and disposal of asbestos at some of the sites. Given the environmental focus of our time, which is only right and proper, it is important that adequate funding is provided in the scheme for the correct dismantling of buildings with the least amount of damage to the surrounding environs, and that buildings are not simply left to rot, particularly if there is a concern around asbestos. The safe and proper dismantling of buildings must be thoroughly included in the cost of compensation.

I would like to raise a question on section 71C(3) regarding the disposal of animals and I want to clarify what this means for the animals. I note that an application has to be made to the District Court and I assume that what is meant is for the mink to be put down. Does this section mean there will be an automatic disposal or if alternative methods were to be found, could they be utilised? It is vital that these poor animals are treated as humanely as possible.Is it definite that the animals will be put down? I am in no way suggesting they be let out into the wild or anything like that but they must be treated as humanely as possible. I would like the Minister of State to get clarity on that.

While we are on the topic of animal welfare, which is arguably the reason we have this Bill before us given that we agree that farming animals for their fur is an egregious abuse of their welfare, I will take a moment to reflect on the wider issue of animal welfare in this country. I think we can all agree we are a country of animal lovers but also one that, at times, has had a poor track record on accountability for animal cruelty. There are no circumstances, personal or commercial, where it should be permissible to excuse or overlook animal cruelty. We have relatively decent pro-animal legislation in place but enforcement is woeful at times. Every so often an image appears online of some awful, terrible animal cruelty such as a mare with overgrown hooves or a horse left at the side of the road. People pile on and we all proclaim how awful it is and say, "My God, whatever can we do about this?" However, it is extremely rare for perpetrators to be held to account. I am aware there are a variety of reasons for that, including tracing, but we do not hold the perpetrators of animal cruelty to account in the way we should and could do.

I regularly come to the House to discuss giving more money to commercial industries which literally profit off the backs of animals. I note that all welfare charities must share approximately €3 million with the rest of their work done on the basis of goodwill, volunteering and fundraising. My family fundraises regularly for Drogheda Animal Rescue, a small organisation in desperate need of funding to help animals in its care. When I hear the eye-watering figures mentioned in relation to the industries that profit from animals I am sometimes left reeling and I think of my mother trundling down West Street in Drogheda trying to get every penny she can so the animals in the organisation's care can be fed. Large amounts of money have been invested in industries that profit from animals. We are discussing the right and proper compensation for those working in the fur farming and skinning industry and workers losing their livelihoods. I posit that alongside today's conversation, we perhaps need to consider how much money we are investing in animal welfare. When we compare the billions of euro for the industry with the couple of million euro for animal welfare charities, we see an enormous gap. Animal welfare charities often do this work off their own bat, relying on the goodwill of volunteers and without much State support.

I am aware I have gone somewhat off track but I wanted to focus on the animal welfare issue for a moment. There needs to be tougher sentencing for those found guilty of animal cruelty. There should be higher fines and jail sentences and in the most serious cases, life bans from keeping animals, to stop those found guilty of animal abuse reoffending. There also needs to be better funding for the charities that literally pick up the broken pieces of animals people have abandoned. I hope the Minister of State will take back that message under her Green banner and consider those issues which are vital to animal welfare.

I am very glad to speak in support of the Bill. I reiterate my support and that of the Labour Party for this important measure, which will see us finally move to a prohibition on fur farming in the interests of animal health, welfare and rights.