Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is welcome. I highly commend Senator Boylan on what she has done here. I have chaired a number of debates here at which she has raised this issue. Like many of my colleagues, including Senator Paul Daly, I can support a lot of what is in the Bill. It is really important to acknowledge that, in recent years, the Minister has announced record funding for animal rescue groups, 99 in total. In 2022, he allocated €5.8 million and, in 2021, €3.1 million. I acknowledge that, not in a political way, because they give us support and some safeguards with regard to what is going on out there. If we are to be honest, there are practices out there that nobody is happy about. As has already been stated, we in rural Ireland have a strong love of animals and do not like to see these unregulated puppy farms or abuse of animals whatsoever.

If you watch social media, you will know I am well-known for walking on the beautiful Sliabh Bawn near Strokestown with my four-legged friend, Lexi. She is a little Jack Russell who minds us all very well but is still a lovely animal. You may talk about other countries but there is a very close and genuine association between Irish people and their pets. They mean a lot to us. They also mean a lot to older people. Anything that can be done with regard to tightening up regulation, we should do and we should work on that together. Senator Gavan acknowledged the non-political aspect of this, which is really good. The Minister is very focused on this. Sometimes, because Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine have such a huge brief, it is hard for them to keep tabs on everything but the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has kept that focus. Animal welfare is a very good thing as well.In the whole process of how we go through this, we should not be seen to lecture people. The vast majority of people who have pets look after them well and do the right thing. It is all about how we deliver the message and I am sure we will take that into consideration as the Bill moves forward. It might also be really good to engage more with all of our local authorities, and with councillors and prospective councillors. We are coming up to a local election. Apart from what we are doing here, this should really have been highlighted more on a county-by-county basis.

Again, one of the most destructive things we have seen down through the years is the bloody damage that dogs, even the nicest of pets, can do if they get loose around sheep. That is such a heartbreaking scenario for farmers, and for children in particular. I recall one incident down the country, which was maybe in Tipperary a few years ago, where there were two young lads. Some neighbour rang their father who was on his way to work 40 or 50 miles away. He rang his young lads, who if I can recall, might have been around 15 or 17. They went down to the farm and saw absolute destruction done on that farm by dogs. They cried over it, as people would. I have seen it myself, and it is one of the most heartbreaking things, the way sheep can be mauled by dogs. Let us face it, there is too much looseness around the scenario regarding dogs. We need to tighten that up but with all of these things, we need to bring people with us in the way we give this message. Again, I repeat that the vast majority of people love their animals.

I think that the Irish people would like a tightening up of the law on this. They will be very much in favour of it. They will be with it, and will very much support it. There may be aspects of how we do it on which they might ask us to table amendments. However, I really think Irish people would welcome this. I again commend the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and will support him with my party in whatever way we can to progress this.