As a new TD, I find it deeply frustrating that Government Ministers say to us constantly that the Social Democrats have no solutions, policies or ideas and then, when we come to the Dáil with solutions, policies and ideas, they are dismissed and rejected. In his opening speech the Minister of State asked us to accept his bona fides about the 12-month delay. I would accept that if this did not happen every single time we put forward legislation. It happened the last time with our Bill to reduce the voting age to sixteen and it happened to our Bill in the Seanad. Time and again, the Government kicks the can down the road and dismisses our ideas. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, said we had a comprehensive debate. It is remarkable how few Members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were here to discuss the Bill. One Member from each of those two parties showed up. It was not a comprehensive debate and there was not meaningful engagement with the Government. That is disappointing. These are important issues. We should be progressing this legislation, taking it to Committee Stage, going through the detail and passing it. The response from the Government is disappointing. I thank my colleague Deputy Whitmore for bringing forward the legislation and putting forward these proposals and ideas. I also thank Dog Law Ireland which worked with her on the Bill. In essence, the Bill would regulate breeding practices and outlaw harmful procedures that cause unnecessary suffering to dogs. At the moment, there are no protections for dogs in breeding establishments. We cannot let dogs throughout the country suffer because successive governments have failed to prioritise animal welfare. I strongly believe that improving animal welfare should have cross-party support in the House. Dog breeding in this country has been likened to the fast fashion market, with any breed of puppy readily available at the click of a button. Sadly, too many people remain unaware of the ethical concerns associated with this. Our poorly regulated framework has created a multimillion euro industry and resulted in Ireland becoming a huge exporter of puppies to more tightly regulated countries. It has also allowed incredibly harmful practices of surgical artificial insemination to remain legal. The current lack of regulation has created a system in which dog rescues simply cannot keep up with the pace at which dog breeders are breeding. Nor can they cope with ever-increasing surrender requests or dog abandonment rates. Right now in my city, the Cork Dog Action Welfare group has more than 100 dogs in foster homes and shelters. On the website of the Cork Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals today, one of the first dogs listed for adoption is Ila, who the CSPCA describes as having started life on a puppy farm but is now free from that fate. I commend those organisations and the volunteers who do fantastic work. I urge Members across the House to support this Bill. They should remember the dogs we have talked about today and put better regulations in place for them.

Sentiment score: 0.07