Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)

I extend my condolences to the family of former Senator Michael Calnan and to the Labour Party.

Breaches under the Animal Health and Welfare Act area beyond disappointing. They are absolutely shocking. They are not a deterrent at all. Recent cases highlight how ineffective and lenient the courts and legislation are on animal abusers. Dog Law Ireland, a group of solicitors who are dog and animal welfare advocates, has made recommendations to address the leniency in sentencing for animal abusers. The first is that lifetime bans should be imposed by default unless the judge sees good reason not to do so. It also proposes the introduction of a specific ban on abusers keeping pets at their properties to prevent them saying that those pets belonged to family members. Some judges already do this but it is at their discretion and not set out in law. Dog Law Ireland believes, and I agree, that this needs to be changed. Another of the recommendations is that judges need to get some training in animal welfare issues to become familiar with the crisis and with dog, horse and pet welfare in general. Abusers of dogs and other pets should be given a lifetime ban from owning a pet.

Puppy farms are, in effect, a form of fast fashion. People pick out their designer puppies and go home happy. The devastation they come from is unseen to the buyer. It is horrendous and wide open for abuse. Puppy farms are a lucrative business for those who operate them. A journalist, John Mooney, indicated that at one stage puppy farms and puppy breeding were more lucrative than drug dealing and transporting drugs. As we get closer to Christmas, we must ask people to rescue a dog. If you look among the huge number of rescues, you will definitely find a dog that is perfect for you. I visited a number of pounds recently and have absolutely no doubt that there is a dog out there for every family. Whatever you do, do not support puppy farms that are abusing breeding dogs and puppies this Christmas.