This question is to ask whether the Minister will outline the measures being taken to strengthen existing animal welfare laws and enforcement mechanisms and whether his Department intends to engage with campaign representatives to progress the aims of the proposed Stout's law and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Sentiment score: 0.77

I thank the Minister for his supportive words. This proposed campaign was inspired by a young pup called Stout who suffered from severe health difficulties arising from malnutrition, poor breeding practice and the unsanitary conditions that he was kept in. The campaign is led by two people in Wexford - Tara O'Connor and Kevin Keegan. They are proposing some reasonable legislation and that the legislation would be amended to place a more exacting standard on dog breeders. They believe legislation must mandate a firm commitment on the part of dog breeders to safeguard the welfare of the animal with an explicit reference to freedom from discomfort and freedom to express normal behaviour. In the legal context, pets currently fall under the definition of "personal property". Stout's law aims to redefine pets as beings with intrinsic needs. Backyard breeders tend to escape oversight and potential incidents of mistreatment can only come to light where, for instance, neighbours raise concerns. There is no dedicated Garda unit to deal with animal cruelty. Dog breeding establishment guidelines deal with important issues, including animal housing, hygiene, exercise and registration, but it is important that the enforcement of the guidelines is in place. Local authorities, despite their best efforts, are not in a position to ensure enforcement as much as we would like.

Sentiment score: 0.10

I welcome what has been said about the high level group. As it stands, the 2010 Act permits upwards of 300 breeding dogs on a site. It also outlines that one full-time staff member to 25 breeding bitches is sufficient. We are looking for a more sensible number of breeding bitches and we believe that 15 is a sensible cap that would enable breeders to run a proper sanitation programme and perform regular welfare acts on all the animals. The staff-to-dog ratio should be set at 1:15 and this should be set out in the legislation as opposed to being contained in dog breeding establishment guidelines. The cap on breeding bitches that is specified should only increase in tandem with the staff headcount, to guarantee that minimum standards of animal healthcare are met. We have a serious problem in Ireland with animal welfare in breeding establishments. This is something we simply have to grab by the scruff of the neck and tackle. I welcome the Minister's comments in that regard.

Sentiment score: -0.09