Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this Bill. I acknowledge the significant work Senator Boylan has put into this. She is an active member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, along with Senator Lombard. I am also on the committee as are other Senators. One thing I can honestly say about Senator Boylan is that from the very day I met her when she came in here I knew she had genuine concern for and commitment to animal welfare. She has been consistent about it and has consistently raised it at every opportunity at the joint committee. She is a champion of animal welfare and is greatly respected among her colleagues on that team, so much so that a lot of space is provided to her on the committee, she will agree, to advocate for animal welfare.She brings a vast knowledge and empathy and commitment to the subject. That is clear to anyone who talks to her and from the committee.

I strongly recommend that every Member pick up a copy of this report from October 2022. Senator Boylan was instrumental in pursuing all aspects of this report. It has 13 recommendations which are all very reasonable. I also thank the people the Senator secured to come forward as witnesses. They were very important people who had a significant contribution to make to the debate. They had considerable experience, knowledge and expertise in the area of animal welfare. It is not always easy for members of a committee whose party does not have a majority - we should remember that the Government has a majority on all these committees - but the Senator pursued this matter and secured significant, strong and robust recommendations.

I will share two of the recommendations that jumped out at me today when I read the Bill again. Recommendation No. 2 states:

From the committee’s hearings it became apparent that there are several government bodies involved with different parts of canine welfare related legislation which can lead to confusion over which body is responsible for which part. Three pieces of legislation currently fall under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine including: Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pet Animals) Regulations 2019; Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015; and Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

The following two pieces of legislation are currently under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development: Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, and Control of Dogs Act 1986.

The committee recommends that all five pieces of legislation should fall under the remit of one Department to ensure joined-up thinking and a consistent approach in canine welfare policy.

This is a very significant recommendation and Senator Boylan has made it very clear when advocating for this Bill. The recommendation concludes that "It is the committee’s opinion that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should have this remit as it is currently responsible for general animal welfare." That is an important recommendation to make.

I found the following startling, frightening and disturbing. Recommendation No. 4 states:

The Committee is also concerned that canine fertility services are being performed illegally by untrained people. The Committee heard that artificial insemination techniques can be evasive and dangerous to a dog. Canine fertility services should be regulated in order to prosecute illegal occurrences of these practises, however, given Surgical Artificial Insemination carries risks even when performed in a controlled, sterile and surgical environment, the committee recommends a complete ban on Surgical Artificial Insemination.

I very much support every aspect of this Bill. It carries on with the same theme of much of the work Senator Boylan had already produced in the committee. The committee wholly endorsed all those recommendations. I hope we can collaborate, which is one of the great things about the Seanad. We do not always need to divide in these Houses. We spoke about Seanad reform the other day and the things we do well. One of those is that we in this House collaborate on general issues. It is not a "them and us" situation. We all share concerns about animal welfare. I know the Minister of State is especially concerned and I am glad she is here taking this legislation.

I will support the Bill, as will my group. We hope its passage will be speedy. In particular, I thank the proposers in Sinn Féin for putting together comprehensive legislation that reads easily but is meaningful. If enacted, it will be very effective animal welfare legislation. I thank all the animal welfare groups that appeared before the committee and shared their stories with us.

I will conclude by saying something about the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. To be fair to him, he has a commitment to animal welfare. Only recently he rolled out additional Government funding for animal welfare charities. However, more is needed. It is not all about money. It is about bedding down in legislation protection for animal welfare. That is the key and will be the success of this legislation. I commend the Bill to the House.