Michael Fitzmaurice urges DNA and microchipping for all dogs

solutions is what we want. The first thing I'm going to say here, and the committee can decide, I'm going to propose that we'll do up a report on this problem to give to the Department of Agriculture. I'm proposing that. I'm seconding that proposal, Mr Chairman. Right. Right. Okay. The next part. Right, guys, tell me, if you don't disagree with something, because we need to take note of this, of what we're going to do if we're doing a report, that all dogs would be DNA'd. Anyone an objection to that? Right. Okay. That's the first thing. Microchip all dogs in Ireland. Is that agreed with everyone? Right. If your dog goes wild, Tomas, what you said there, that you won't be owning a dog again. Is that agreed by all the farmer organs? Yes. Right. In the event of a farmer not owning... Sorry, can I just maybe broaden that out a wee bit? You know, that is fine as a statement, but how is that actually going to be incorporated into legislation if we don't have the personnel on the ground to actually monitor that non-compliance? Just one second. Forget about... No more than guards, not everyone that goes around the country stealing, and we know it well about robberies, will be caught. And no more than dog warden. You're not going to have a dog warden up every road in Ireland. What you need is your DNA. What you need is all the... basically all the tools to identify something and have the databases for it. And after that, that's the best that you can do. You won't have a dog warden in your place and my place and every other place flying around the place to be able to get this sorted. In the line of the... a good point that has been brought up earlier. In the event of a farmer not having a gun licence, that with the consent of the farmer or the landowner, a person that owns a gun licence would be allowed to... Is that agreed? Right. In the line of... if you trespass... if you... if you trespass uninvited, a person or the dogs, well, for the dogs anyhow, and this is to answer what you're on about, that a... a farm owner or the farmer has the right to blow them dog... or to shoot them dogs. Yes. Any dog off a needle that's on his own. Right. Providing them have a licence. Okay. And the last one I'm going to say, because I'm not going to... these are things that we need to put into a report if we're going to try and change things, that all databases and equipment would be supplied, that a database and the equipment would be a giant up measure between the Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture, the way that we would have the whole lot together in the event of dogs getting... basically doing harm. Is there any other thing you want me to put into that? Yes. Give me one each quick. Mr Morris. Thanks very much. Thanks very much, Deputy Fitzmaurice. And I think you have, to a large extent, identified some of the key issues. And in relation to enforcement, I think the key area here is the deterrent has to be awareness of the significance of the sanctions. Welcome your proposal in relation to preventing any future ownership of somebody found not meeting their legal obligations for maintaining their dog under effective control. But I think we must also look at extending the sanctions for what they cause on farms in relation to the potential custodial sentences and the significant fines. And we can achieve that. And the issue has come up here, Chairman, in relation to enforcement. And clarity around roles of unguardi or authorised officers or dog wardens. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 clearly defines roles and responsibilities. What we need to do here, Deputy, and including your proposals, is to incorporate the worrying of livestock and the savaging of sheep into this act and attribute those sanctions, because that gives the correct authorities then to the Gardaíes. Tomas, send that in to us. Of course, Deputy. John, just a quick one. Just a quick one. But there's one point I want to finish on, Deputy, because I haven't got in here. It's Mr Corley, briefly. No, I'm okay. Okay. Roaming patrols in tourist hotspots, that will help the West of Ireland out to deal with roaming, do you know, what people bringing dogs on hills. Send it in to us, and Tomas, whatever other point you have. If there's, bear with me, if there's questions that you want to answer and that the time isn't there, write down the answers and send them on into the, into the Secretariat, and they'll be before the members. Chairman, if you take north to, Mr. Senator Daly as second of the proposal, that we do a report. Agree. Very good, very good.