Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here for this important discussion. Every so often we see horrendous acts by dogs or unto dogs and this entire topic comes to the fore. It is all over the media and in the papers and then it goes. I genuinely believe that each Department then breathes a sigh of relief that it can sit in the mess for a wee while longer. We have been delaying change for so long.

I think of the most recent case of that poor gorgeous wee boy, Alejandro Miszan, who was savagely attacked by a dog. Unfortunately, he is not alone. Many people are living with the scars of dog attacks. That attack seems to have been the one that broke the camel's back, causing action. It is sad because many of us in this House have been asking for greater dog controls for an awfully long time.

I commend Senator Boylan on her work because she has been steadfast in this area for an awfully long time. This is really important work. I also commend the joint committee, chaired by my Fianna Fáil colleague, Deputy Cahill. It published a great report this year. The Bill is a good starting point. We can go further and be more ambitious, but it fills up a lacuna that has been highlighted and would be remedied by the Bill. It should be implemented.

There are a few glaring issues when looking into dog control and animal welfare or doing any research on the matter. There are three Departments in control of it, which is a huge problem. There is a lack of enforcement, a lack of will on the part of successive Governments to take on sole responsibility, a lack of investment in dog wardens, a lack of cross-Border co-operation, a lack of adequate Garda powers, a lack of databases and a lack of an incentive, either carrot or stick, to purchase a dog licence or to have a dog microchipped or just to be a good citizen and a good, responsible dog owner.

I very much welcome the recent intervention by An Taoiseach to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to convene the interdepartmental group on dogs. It will consider and review current legislation on dogs across all Departments and look at how local authorities can implement this and be more effective in doing so.

I wish to highlight lots of other issues. Dog owners need to be held responsible for the damage their dogs do. Unfortunately, there is a laissez-faireattitude in that regard. A lack of personal responsibility on the part of dog owners has led to desperate things happening. We must start investing again in dog wardens, hire more of them and make sure they are fully equipped to deal with the new challenges.

We need to streamline and integrate the process of licensing and microchipping. In this era of technology and the online world, I fail to see why we cannot have a national database and an ability to work cross-Border to identify dogs in the Six Counties as well. There needs to be a consequence for not having a licence and not having a dog microchipped.

I commend Louth County Council on what it is doing. It has brought its licensing system online. Our county vet is Garrett Shine. Almost by themselves, not with any extra government resources, the local authorities are working across different counties. Louth County Council has a streamlined process for licensing dogs. Its success came during Covid, when people could go online to licence their dog. Again, however, a microchip, as highlighted this evening , is not a necessity. No one should be able to insure or license a dog or get veterinary services if he or she does not have a microchip. He or she should have to be able to identify his or her dog. Responsible dog owners want that to happen. I would take it a step further. We need dog control notices. An owner in receipt of a series of dog control orders should not be able to get a licence for a dog. If someone is not a responsible dog owner, he or she should not be able to continue getting licences.

Anyone who has ever come across a field of sheep that are after being worried will know that it is the most desperate sight. A couple of years ago I was on our family farm checking our sheep and witnessed dog attacks on animals. It was bloody and awful. Those sheep miscarried and died. That is a basic animal welfare problem right there that we are not looking after - and we are not looking after the dog. It is not the fault of dogs that they are wild animals; it is the owners' fault that they are not taken care of. Accidents can happen, of course, and we will not stop all maiming, all dog attacks and all sheep worrying, but we will reduce them and we will ensure personal responsibility. This Bill is a very important step towards real dog welfare reform and accountability among dog owners.