I commend my colleague, Deputy Whitmore, on introducing this important Bill, which, if not obstructed, will greatly strengthen our dog breeding regulations. Unfortunately, it seems the Government is kicking the Bill into touch, which means it will be in limbo for 12 months at least. It is important to say that the Government is prone to frequent whinging that if only the Opposition could make constructive suggestions instead of complaining, it would happily work with us. This is patently shown up here, as with so many other Bills, for the disingenuous claptrap that it is. Currently, the welfare, breeding, sale, supply, control and traceability of dogs fall across multiple Departments, including the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht; Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; and Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This level of fragmentation ensures dog breeding remains essentially unregulated and wide open to abuse. It is estimated that around 100,000 puppies are bred in Ireland each year. Irish people love dogs and are willing to invest significant sums of money to welcome a puppy into their family. Unfortunately, this demand is very often exploited by some breeders who prioritise profits and care not a jot for animal welfare. Many puppies and their mothers are born into miserable, nightmarish environments where they may be kept in confined spaces with inadequate light, limited human contact and substandard care, including restricted access to food and water. Deputy Whitmore’s Bill represents a first step towards regulating breeding operations and providing protections for puppies and their mothers. The Bill proposes limits on the number of breeding females, the age at which dogs can breed, the age at which puppies may be separated from their mothers, the implementation of staffing ratios and a prohibition on surgical artificial insemination. I will focus briefly on surgical artificial insemination. This procedure carries welfare and ethical concerns, including risks associated with general anaesthesia and surgical complications. Non-surgical alternatives are widely used internationally and are not associated with many of these risks. The UK, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands have banned surgical insemination for welfare reasons and the Veterinary Council of Ireland’s code of professional conduct also discourages its use on ethical grounds. This is just one aspect of Deputy Whitmore’s Bill, but one that highlights the far-reaching favourable impact the legislation could have on dog welfare. The question that remains is why the Government is deferring this Bill for 12 months. I can so reason other than political pettiness.

Sentiment score: 0.03