Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Today, I want to raise a couple of issues regarding dog welfare. First, I welcome the conviction yesterday of the owner of the old dog pound. The penalty could have been harsher but it is important that the serious nature of the crimes committed at the pound have now been upheld and a conviction has been achieved.

In particular, I want to raise the issue that Dogs Trust has highlighted, which is that there has been an 80% increase in the number of dogs being surrendered due to the housing crisis because landlords will not accept pets as part of the terms and conditions of the lease. This does not surprise me in the slightest because when I visited the new dog pound in November 2021, even then it was being said that 30% of the dogs being surrendered were owned by people who had got notices to quit. They were trying to look for alternative accommodation but the alternative accommodation did not allow them to bring their family pet with them.

Anybody who has a dog, cat or other pet that is banned under tenancy agreements knows they are part of the family. We hear now of people who are sleeping in their cars because they do not want to have to give up their beloved pet but they cannot find alternative accommodation that will allow them to take their pet with them. Apart from the animal welfare issue, and the strain it is putting on welfare shelters and pounds around the country, which are already at capacity, there is also a human side to the matter, which is that children are being denied the right to have pets. Any of us who have grown up with pets know that they teach us about empathy and life and death. Pets are really important to have in a child's life. We are denying children that life experience purely by the fact that they live in the rental sector. Some housing bodies also prevent tenants from having pets. It is something that we must address.

I have tried to raise this as a Commencement matter but it has been ruled out of order on the basis that the Minister has no say on the issue. I do not agree. The Minister can intervene by means of legislation on tenancy agreements to allow people to have a family pet. Responsible dog or pet owners should be allowed to have a pet in their lives.