Rural TDs collar Gormley over dog breeding bill

ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley has told a hesitant Fianna Fáil parliamentary party he will take on board their concerns about the new dog breeding bill.

He addressed the weekly parliamentary party meeting last night and said while some aspects of the bill could not be changed other areas could be tweaked.

The leader of the junior coalition partner had met with resistance from FF backbenchers who said the legislation he proposed would unfairly penalise legitimate dog breeding.

Mr Gormley said aspects of the proposed inspection regime were open to review to allow a bedding-in period for small breeders.

This could be achieved by a phased introduction of the new regulations, the meeting heard. However, he said in the interests of consistency nobody could be exempt.

It had been expected the minister would be met with a hostile group of rural TDs who are angry at his animal rights and one-off housing policies.

Carlow Kilkenny TD Bobby Aylward laid down a motion calling for the dog breeding bill to be amended. Mr Gormley addressed this but the other issues were not brought up. Reports from the FF backbenchers said the meeting was cordial and constructive.

Separately, a crackdown on “hare lurching” has been sought by Cork East FF TD Ned O’Keeffe, who has written to Mr Gormley on the issue.

Mr O’Keeffe said those involved use half-bred sheepdogs, whippet type greyhounds and collies to hunt and kill hares in a cruel manner.

“If this practice is allowed to continue the hare population will be decimated,” he said.