Chris Andrews
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I want to move an amendment to No. 1 on the Order Paper, proposing an orderly winding down of the accommodation recognition payment scheme in a way that is fair and efficient. I note today is the last day of Dáil and Seanad sittings before the summer recess.”
“The Government can point to housing and claim that there are huge successes. There is only success for the wealthy, the well-off, the developers and the landlords. They are all delighted with Government policy.”
“Government will say, "Look at the positives", but there are a huge amount of challenges. You need not look any further than the housing crisis. Of course, the Government will point to an increased number of housing developments. However, those housing developments are for the very well-off.”
“We supported the development of housing on the Glass Bottle site. We worked hard to ensure to get more social housing. Unfortunately, the Government would not do that. Now it seems that the so-called "affordable housing" on the Glass Bottle site will be unaffordable.”
“I move amendment No. 14: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Annual report 11. The Minister shall, within the first six months of the year, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report outlining the application of this Act, providing an update on— (a) how many successful actions were brought under section 14…”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “ “settlement service” means a service provided in whole or in part within a postal code or relevant occupied territory to which this Act applies;”.”
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“One example is the epidemic of dog abandonment in Ireland. The law considers it an offence to abandon a dog but, in practice, there is no deterrent. There is no enforcement of the laws. A total of 7,510 dogs entered Irish pounds in 2023, which was an increase of 80% since 2021. There is clearly no deterrent. It is important we have an awareness of the poor enforcement of dog welfare laws in Ireland. We need the Minister to come into the House to explain what he plans to do to ensure dog welfare and animal welfare generally in Ireland are improved.”
“I raise the issue of animal welfare, particularly dog welfare. Last week, three dogs were shot and dumped in a bog in Westmeath. This Government's attitude to dog welfare, and animal welfare generally, is lamentable. We see images of horses around the country that are emaciated, have open wounds and are without water. Dogs are in pounds or are being shot and dumped. The Government needs to invest in pounds and rescues to help these especially vulnerable dogs. There needs to be an improvement in microchipping so abusers can be prosecuted. There needs to be a real crackdown on puppy farms. Whether the Government wants to admit it or not, Ireland is the puppy farm capital of Europe. Although there are dog welfare laws, they are weak. To compound that, the enforcement of those laws is particularly ineffective.”
“It is important to note that there has been a chilling effect on people who are critical of Israel and critical of the genocide that apartheid Israel is carrying out. It is also important to note that the media are really critical and hostile towards people who are critical of the genocide, and now the Government seems to be rowing in behind that narrative. It is very concerning that peaceful protestors from Mothers Against Genocide were removed in that way yesterday.”
“I wish Jeremy and George well. Best wishes in your new role, Jeremy. For George, it is like replacing Alex Ferguson after his time at Manchester United. He has big shoes to fill, as has been said. Best wishes to both of you. My colleague, Senator Ruane, brought up the issue of the peaceful protest yesterday by Mothers Against Genocide and the fact that protestors were removed. It is of concern to me that the Government, An Garda Síochána and the media are becoming increasingly hostile to anyone who criticises Israel or the genocide that is taking place in the Gaza Strip. The Government needs to pass the occupied territories Bill and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023 and support justice in Palestine and the Gaza Strip. Peace will then follow.”
“On a point of order, in case there is any suggestion that I am not, I want to clarify that I am very proud of Irish Army personnel. The point I was making is that the vast majority of those fighting on the front line come from working families. I am very proud of the peacekeeping tradition and of Irish Army personnel.”
“We have to defend our neutrality because we can be sure that it will not be the children of The Irish Times readers on the front line. It will not be the children of Ministers on the front line in any war. It will be ordinary working class communities who are being pushed into war out of economic necessity, and like I say, the only people who will benefit from that are those in the armaments industry.”
“It is the disadvantaged people who are going there out of economic necessity. That is the futility of war. We seem to be rushing into the belief that we can just empty our disadvantaged communities into a war and somehow it is noble. There is nothing noble about war. Ireland's peacekeeping missions are second to none. They have given us huge credibility internationally, and the idea that would all effectively be done away with by joining a military alliance makes no sense. I have spoken to many who have been on peacekeeping duty. They do not go because they want to go. They mostly go out of economic necessity, and it makes a difference. It gives them an opportunity to pay bills or maybe to buy a house. Irish Army personnel are not paid enough.”
“I want to raise the ongoing dismantling of Irish neutrality and the attempt to get rid of the triple lock, which it should be noted is being supported by many in the media. The reality is that the only people who will benefit from war and the ending of our neutrality are those in the armaments industry. That industrial complex makes billions of euro. It accounts for a tiny fraction of the population, yet it makes vast amounts of money. A quote that resonated with me was "a rich man's war drenched in the poor man's blood". For me, that sums up the futility of war and what happens in war, because when you look at the front lines in the Russian army and the Ukrainian army, you realise it is not the affluent there. It is the working communities and inner city communities.”
“It works out as €2.5 million per month for buses and taxis to bring children to school. That is insane. It works out as €30 million per year. Why is that money not being spent on classes? The Government has an enormous challenge. It is important that it is successful.”
“The Government talks a good game but the reality for families is very different. Senator Clonan said that special needs children should have access to school places with their siblings. That is not an unreasonable request. We would all agree with that proposal but it is not happening. I know that Involve Autism, a local group in Dublin 6, did some research and advocacy. It established that in 2024 and 2025, the cost of transporting a child with special educational needs to school in south Dublin, which comprises Dublin 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18, was €122,000 per day. That was the cost to bus children out of their communities and just in south Dublin. It works out to €610,000 per week to bus children out of south Dublin to schools that are far away from their families and siblings.”
“I acknowledge Sarah and Darren and the fight they are undertaking for their son, Freddie. They are replicating the battle that so many people and families have had to put up with in recent years. It does not seem a lot to ask that a child would have access to an education. I acknowledge the Minister of State's new role. It is important and I wish him success. It is important for everyone that he is successful in the role. I am fearful and do not have a lot of hope at the moment. The families of neurodiverse children and children with special needs have been let down so often. So many children have been let down by the system. It is devastating for them. Families are often outside the gates of Leinster House, pleading for school places for their children. It seems to go on and on.”
“There needs to be flexibility around this. The residents are absolutely sick and the Government has sickened them further by abandoning them again. The conditions in the complex are desperate. The list of maintenance issues is about as long as that of the Government's broken promises. It is never-ending. If the architecturally important Pearse House flats complex was going to be demolished, The Irish Times readers and academics would be up in arms and outraged. None of them are outraged, upset and angry, however, that in 2025, residents in Pearse House and flats right across Dublin's inner city are expected to live in completely unacceptable conditions. The Minister needs to come in here to explain to residents in Pearse House why they have been abandoned again.”
“In recent days, the Minister for housing has slammed the door on the redevelopment and regeneration of the Pearse House flats. This is devastating for the residents of Pearse House, who put up with completely unacceptable living conditions that are getting worse by the day. This is just another example of the Government abandoning the residents of the inner city, and it is a case of further broken election promises. Detenanting cannot begin now, as it was hoped would happen, and any progress has now stalled. The residents are absolutely furious and I do not blame them. Pearse House is a 1930s building, and the rules that apply to the redevelopment of a more modern building cannot be applied here. We cannot preserve the architectural integrity of the building and also get additionality, which is what the Department is looking for.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I have heard that response before - that is being honest - and it is not acceptable. No one has been held accountable for the abuse at St. John Ambulance. An apology is not enough. Survivors have been to hell and back. Some are struggling with homelessness and addiction and are struggling to cope. An apology is not good enough and accountability is what is needed. There was significant organisational awareness of this abuse, which went unchecked for decades, and we need to do more. We need to hold people to account. The Minister of State mentioned that the Government had no role in the running of St. John Ambulance, yet it gives money and allocates funding and resources to St. John Ambulance. As I mentioned earlier, justice delayed is justice denied, and the survivors of the St.”
“I urge the Minister to reconsider their position. The survivors of St. John Ambulance have waited long enough for justice. It is now time to act.”
“The Department's refusal to commission an inquiry has left survivors feeling abandoned once again by the State, the very body that should be protecting them. It is not enough to say that the Shannon report addressed these issues. The survivors need more than a report. They need an inquiry that will shine light on every corner of this organisation's past to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that justice, however much delayed, is finally delivered. We are at a critical juncture. The survivors of St. John Ambulance Ireland deserve our full support, they deserve to be heard and they deserve to know that those who enabled or turned a blind eye to their abuse will be held accountable. Without a full inquiry we are failing in our duty to them, we will allow the cycle of silence and cover up to continue.”
“Survivors have had to endure decades of silence being ignored and disbelieved. Many have carried the scars of their experiences in silence and left without closure or justice that a full public inquiry would provide. I acknowledge the tireless work Mick Finnegan, one of the survivors, has done. If it were not for Mick Finnegan the reality, is that it is very unlikely that the Shannon report would have been done and all of the abuse in St. John Ambulance would have come to light. He has been tireless, and it is important to acknowledge that. We owe it, not just to Mick Finnegan but to all survivors to demand transparency, accountability and a proper investigation into how this was allowed to continue for so long.”
“These young cadets eager to serve their communities instead became victims of heinous crimes that were allowed to go unchecked for decades. The findings are harrowing. Predatory behaviour was pervasive, known to those in positions of authority and yet was not stopped. The report exposes a culture of cover-up, silence and the protection of abusers at the expense of these survivors. What is even more alarming is that while the Shannon report shed light on the abuses, it also highlighted the sheer lack of accountability, both past and present. There has been no real reckoning for those who failed these children. No one has been held accountable for what happened under the guides of this esteemed organisation, and I say that lightly. How can we as nation stand idly by while those responsible remain in the shadows shielded from justice?”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I wish him well in his role. It is an interesting role. It is in everyone's interest that he is successful. I rise here today to ask a question that weighs heavily on the minds of many in this Chamber but, far more importantly, on the hearts of countless survivors throughout the country. Why will the Department not commission a full inquiry into what went on in St. John Ambulance? The Shannon report, which we have all had the opportunity to review, is nothing short of damning. It reveals a legacy of abuse, institutional failings and systemic failure to protect the most vulnerable children and young people who trusted St. John Ambulance with their safety.”
“They are filled with compassion and empathy in their work. They do this for nothing other than the love of dogs and animals.”
“The greyhound racing industry has long been criticised for its exploitation of these gentle and loyal animals, from overbreeding to abandonment and euthanasia. The industry's track record is riddled with cruelty. Enough is enough. Greyhounds, like all dogs and all sentient beings, deserve better. Last July, the Government closed a consultation on this barbaric process. Will the Minister come to the House and outline when there will be a ban on surgical insemination? It is an absolutely bizarre practice and should not be allowed in 2025. I acknowledge the work Dog Law Ireland and WAG Rescue, My Lovely Horse and various rescue groups do around the country. They are amazing. They recently told me they have to turn away greyhounds because so many are being presented to them that they cannot take any more. It is heartbreaking.”
“Surgical insemination of greyhounds is deeply disturbing and inhumane. It is a practice that continues to plague the greyhound industry in Ireland. It is a procedure where a female dog's uterus is removed, semen is injected into the uterus, the uterus is then returned to the greyhound and she is then sewn back up and expected to carry the litter of dogs for 60 days while recovering from this painful surgery. It is absolutely bizarre. Despite the Veterinary Council of Ireland saying it is unethical, this process is still allowed to continue in greyhounds. It is not only cruel but entirely unnecessary. It is a stark reminder of how the pursuit of profit can overshadow compassion and ethics. Surgical insemination is a painful and very risky procedure.”
“It has tortured women and children. It has turned sports fields into killing fields. There are no laws that will stop Israel terrorising Gaza and the West Bank. All the Irish Government is doing is wagging its finger at Israel. It still refuses to sanction Israel. It still refuses to ensure there are consequences for the terror that Israel is imposing on Palestinians. Apartheid Israel is laughing at international law, and Ireland, the EU and the rest of the world are standing there, watching. The Minister must come in and explain why apartheid Israel is not facing sanctions. Not only is Israel not facing sanctions, but this Government is watering down the occupied territories Bill. It is completely insane to think that the Government would be allowed to water down what is very modest legislation.”
“When you think the horror in the Gaza Strip cannot get any worse, it does. It gets worse on a daily basis. First, we had the genocide, the destruction of hospitals, the murder and the slaughter. Then we have the starvation, the killing, the terror, the blocking of food, the blocking of medicines and the turning off of electrical power, which impacts the desalination systems and water so there is little drinking water. Starvation is still genocide. It is still against international law. Now we have 1,000 Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip in two days. This represents an acceleration of genocide and it is an acceleration of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. There is, as far as I can see, no crime that Israel has not committed in the West Bank and in Gaza. It has killed women and children.”
“They do really good work, engage with residents and are professional, but their arms are tied. There are not have enough gardaí there. The superintendent in Pearse Street is an excellent professional, organised and very engaged with the local community, but the superintendent does not have the resources. The Government is not allocating the required resources, and Dublin City Council is found wanting on so many occasions in terms of the planning and maintenance of the flats and communication with residents. I ask that the Minister come in here and explain what he is going to do about the drug dealing in his own back yard.”
“At 10 o'clock last night, there were ten people queueing up to get drugs in Glovers Court. At 4.45 a.m., there were four people queueing to get drugs there. This is the Minister for Justice's back garden. It is his constituency. The drug dealers are running the show in Glovers Court and O'Carroll Villas. The Minister was talking about introducing laws. He can have all the laws he wants in the world but if the Garda numbers are not there on the streets to enforce them, those laws are useless. The residents have put up with this for years. It is completely unacceptable. None of us would accept it and there is no reasons residents in the inner city flat complexes should have to put up with it either. The gardaí who are there are excellent, it is fair to acknowledge. The community gardaí are excellent.”
“I raise the ongoing crisis facing residents in Glovers Court, a Dublin City Council flat complex off York Street, and O'Carroll Villas. Drug dealers run these flat complexes. Glovers Court is like a 24-hour drug shop, with dealers using Kinder eggs to hide their drugs in the playground at O'Carroll Villas. Gangs of young people are egging those using the local shops and businesses. The pace of the regeneration of Glovers Court is glacial, just like it is for almost all Dublin City Council flat complexes. Since there are so many empty flats, the drug dealing in Glovers Court is being made really easy. Drugs are being sold there 24-7. There are a lot of boarded-up flats because of the regeneration process. It means there are more drug dealers in Glovers Court than there are residents.”
“Perhaps the Minister of State could investigate why the ICML charity has offices in the National Concert Hall building. Is it paying anything at all for those offices? This is an important question that needs to be answered. The Iveagh Gardens are a jewel in Dublin's crown and they have to be protected. Very little of the Minister of State's answer was accurate.”
“I thank the Minister of State. None of the issues I raised was addressed. The Save the Iveagh Gardens campaign is not happy with any proposals to destroy the area. The long boundary wall will be destroyed. I invite the Minister of State to visit the gardens at lunchtime. They ware magnificent. The OPW does a very good job within the boundary walls, but to allow the destruction of the Iveagh Gardens is wrong. This proposal will lead to them being destroyed. The response of the Minister of State is not accurate. The Save the Iveagh Gardens campaign is very concerned about any proposals. There is already a children's science museum 10 km from here. This is not needed. Families need the gardens. We do not need a vanity project for a private charity.”
“Maybe the Minister of State will be able to get to the bottom of what is a fairly extraordinary situation. There is already a children's science museum in Sandyford, which is approximately 10 km from here. The previous Minister launched it. The ICML wants to put another science museum in the city centre and destroy the Iveagh Gardens in the process. The plans relating to the National Concert Hall site will damage the Iveagh Gardens and cause the destruction of mature trees and boundary walls. Almost 48,000 people have signed a petition relating to this matter. We need to save the Iveagh Gardens, which are a priceless asset for Dublin and for the communities and families of the inner city. They are ecologically, historically and culturally important for the communities in question.”
“By any stretch of the imagination, this is extraordinary. An unaccountable and well-connected private entity, this charity, has been given public land. The ICML must come before the relevant Oireachtas committees, when they are set up, and answer some very important and serious questions. When this project was originally set up, the estimated cost involved was €15 million. God knows what the cost would be now. The Iveagh Gardens should not pay a price just because some well-connected charity wants a vanity project, and that is what this is. I would be interested to know how and why a private charity can be accommodated within the building that houses the National Concert Hall. It has serviced offices there, with phones and heating provided. I would be interested in knowing who pays for all of that.”
“At a time when climate change and urban sprawl are serious concerns, green spaces such as the Iveagh Gardens are more important than ever. Sacrificing the trees and green spaces in parks of this nature in order to build structures of concrete and glass would be a big mistake. Many forget that the inner city is not only for shopping and dining. There are thousands of families living in the city. These families deserve better. We must protect the Iveagh Gardens for families who live in this city. Twenty-one years ago, a charity called the Irish Children's Museum Limited, ICML, somehow got the OPW to sign a contract for it to build a science museum on the site of the National Concert Hall. The ICML is unaccountable. There is no transparency around it or around the public land given to it as a private entity.”
“I congratulate the Minister of State on his new role. It is an important role, as we have seen, for communities across the country. It is also important the Minister of State is successful in it. I wish him the best of luck. The Iveagh Gardens is a green lung for this city. They are more than just a park; they are a piece of our living history. They are one of the few surviving examples of gardens of this type. I suppose every tree tells a story, and to destroy these trees is to destroy the memory of the city. The Iveagh Gardens are also an ecological haven in the heart of the city. I do not know if the Minister of State has visited the Iveagh Gardens. He could take a walk at lunchtime and he will see it is absolutely beautiful.”
“With the Taoiseach and Tánaiste's upcoming visits to Washington, we must use Ireland's position and leverage to ensure that the plight of Palestinians is heard. They need to make clear that Ireland will not accept America's genocidal actions in the Middle East. Ireland's global diaspora, like that of the Palestinians, was the result of ethnic cleansing and forced migration. This shared experience gives us a unique perspective in the western world and we must not forget our responsibility to stand up for those people who are oppressed. With the rise of fascism, particularly in the United States and Israel, the Taoiseach must take urgent action to ensure that Ireland and its diaspora remain a force for peace and human rights.”
“Practically every family has a daughter, son or extended family member who has been forced to move to countries like Australia, Germany or the United States to find better jobs and more affordable rent. Nearly two centuries since the Famine, the fact that so many of our young people still feel compelled to move abroad in search of work and better living conditions is a glaring indictment of the State's failure to live up to the ideals of the 1916 Proclamation. The Government must ensure that this new diaspora is supported while living abroad, but also work to build an Ireland that these young people are able to return home to and thrive in. It is worth recognising that Ireland's diaspora continues to give us a global voice beyond that typical of an island of 7 million people.”
“Likewise, Irish-Americans played a critical role in our recent peace process and the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement. The diaspora continues to be a vital and often under-appreciated part of the Irish nation, with many of our finest citizens having their roots abroad but coming from Irish ancestry. A good example of this is our national football team, many of whom were born abroad but chose to play for Ireland due to the strength of their heritage. However, we should recognise that the existence of our diaspora is a result of both historical and current injustice. In the nineteenth century it was British colonial rule that forced people to go abroad. Today, it is the housing crisis, poverty and inequality that drive people away. Thousands of young people continue to emigrate in search of better opportunities and brighter futures.”
“I congratulate the Minister of State on his new portfolio. It is a really interesting role and is one that I know he is very interested in. I wish him the best of luck in it because it is important for everyone that he is successful. The Irish diaspora is a unique feature of our historical and cultural identity and is crucial to our global influence and political future. Irish men and women have contributed massively to countries across the world with places like the United States, Australia, and Argentina, deriving much of their ancestry from Ireland. During the revolutionary period 100 years ago the Irish diaspora in America in particular was crucial in supporting our struggle for independence in political and material terms.”
“All these insulation schemes are available if you are well-off. If you live in a flats complex, you do not have that luxury and you are treated like a second-class citizen. It is unacceptable that this Government, like that which preceded it, is continuing to regenerate flats complexes at a snail's pace. There is no sense of urgency. There needs to be a genuine commitment to improving the lives of those living in the inner city and those living in flats complexes because what they have had to put up with for decades is unacceptable.”
“The bin storage areas are absolutely disgusting in many cases. There is so little maintenance by Dublin City Council. There are people coming in from all around the city who are just dumping bags of rubbish. Rats, pigeons and seagulls then rip these apart. Living in a flats complex is another world compared with what we have here. The conditions are completely unacceptable. What the residents of Pearse House have to put up with is something residents in all the flats complexes have to put up with. The Government talks about regeneration and the insulation of homes, but the people who live in the flats do not have that luxury. The doors are all old. People have been paying rent for years and they have to put up with doors that are completely unacceptable. Never mind insulating homes; you could stick a pen through the doors of these flats.”
“Pearse House flats, which are located just off Pearse Street, are due to be regenerated as part of the flat regeneration scheme. This regeneration is taking place at a snail's pace. The conditions residents have to live in are absolutely unacceptable. In the past week, two residents have had to be moved out of their homes; both of their flats were completely flooded by raw sewage which came up through the floors. They have had to move out and have had almost no support from Dublin City Council. Effectively, the flats are unlivable for many people. What I have described is a regular occurrence. The stairwells in the flats consistently smell of urine and are filthy. This is the case not just in Pearse House but in all of the flats complexes across the city. There is little sign of Dublin City Council maintaining these complexes.”
“The Tánaiste and Minster for Foreign Affairs comes out with statement after statement condemning Israel's actions but does nothing to ensure that there are consequences for Israel. His social media is fantastic, but that does not do anything for the people of Gaza. The people of Gaza and the West Bank need to see Israel sanctioned for the bombs and terror it is inflicting on them. When you think it cannot get any worse, it does. Israel’s strategy is to starve the people of Gaza who have already been bombed unmercifully. The Tánaiste and the Minister of Foreign Affairs needs to come in and explain why he is not willing to sanction Israel and why Israel can act with impunity.”
“Apartheid Israel has stopped bombing Gaza. It has decided to change its strategy and starve the people of the Gaza Strip. Withholding food and emergency aid is genocide. It is sickening. It is also against international law to continue to do that. Yet, the Irish Government still has not sanctioned Israel. There have been no sanctions. There are no consequences for Israel in the context of its actions or anything it does. It can drive a stagecoach through international law and nothing happens. Israel must face consequences. Ireland, instead of ensuring that Israel is sanctioned, has decided that it will water down the occupied territories Bill. It will not support the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill.”
“We need to show some compassion and ensure that the number crunchers in the Department are not determining the educational outcomes for children in Ringsend, Irishtown and Pearse Street. I ask that the Minister would come in. I have no doubt this issue is replicated right across the country. It is an important issue to discuss.”
“St. Patrick's Boys' National School in Ringsend is a DEIS band 1 school that serves pupils in Ringsend, Irishtown and Pearse Street. The Department of Education has just notified it that it is going to lose a teacher, which is a huge blow to the school. It has failed to meet the arbitrary 127 retention pupil rate. The staff work themselves to the bone there. The conditions they are working in are very challenging. Pupils are already educationally disadvantaged in the school. It means they are going to have to shoehorn eight classes into six and will have to split multiple classes. Parents have already told me they are going to remove their children from the school because of the split classes. There are already significant literacy and behavioural issues. We need to have common sense in relation to this.”
“If that had not been done, an appeals process would not have been introduced. It is extremely unfair. There is a great deal of dog welfare legislation, almost none of which is enforced. We are the puppy farm capital of the world. This Government has to do better. It should not be as populist as the previous Government. I ask the Government to take a dog-welfare-centred approach to animal welfare.”
“I thank the Minister. I have to emphasise the importance of having an appeals process and that it is independent. When the ban was brought in, the Government had to bring an independent expert from England, Ms Debbie Connolly, because there is no expertise here in terms of identifying what an XL Bully is. Debbie Connolly trained some of the dog wardens. Some dog wardens did not go to the training, while some of those who did go to training did not attend the second day of training. It is important that there is a proper system and expertise in identifying what an XL Bully is. We have to ensure that the wardens are not the arbiters of the identification of an XL Bully. I welcome the fact that there is an appeals process but it is important to note that the Government had to be brought to court by these six dog welfare groups.”
“The Government has not published any evidence to show that the ban will achieve its aim of enhancing public safety. It has simply decided to target bully breeds rather than targeting the owners and the behaviour of the dogs. It is populist in the extreme. What will the appeals process look like?”
“It has said that, in any appeals process, there must be a qualified, independent dog identification expert. Dog wardens would not be the determiners of dog breeds. All costs should be incurred by the State and the burden of proof should be on the State, regardless of appeal outcome. WAG also states that the dog should remain in the home and dogs should not be confiscated or impounded during the appeals process. There should be a certificate of exemption issued after the independent appeal if a dog is classified as an XL bully. On protection of dogs in pounds and rescues, WAG emphasises it is important that dogs in pounds and rescues are afforded the same rights as privately owned dogs and that a dog classified as an XL bully can be rehomed through a registered charity and obtain a certificate of exemption.”
“If we are going to implement a ban and, as a result, kill many dogs, we need to have at least an appeals process. Six dog welfare rescue groups are taking a judicial review and challenging the lack of an appeals process. I acknowledge the six groups that took the case: Working Animal Guardians, WAG, Dog Angels Ireland, My Lovely Horse Rescue, Wicklow Animal Welfare, Clare Animal Welfare and the Haven. It is notable that none of the big dog welfare groups joined this judicial review. They took the case and I understand that, in court on Tuesday, there was an agreement by the Government's legal team to have an appeals process. There is no point in having an appeals process unless it actually works and is fair, and leads to dogs being treated better. Working Animals Guardians does unbelievable work. It achieved charity status last year.”
“Without an appeals process, dogs have been killed on the word of a dog warden, who has no expertise in determining whether a dog is an XL bully. The Government's record on dog welfare is lamentable. The Government's attitude towards animal welfare is lamentable. Look at the poor horse that died of starvation in a field in Limerick or the horse running down O'Connell Street. We are the puppy farm capital of Europe. Back-street dog breeders do what they want. Wardens are mostly afraid to tackle the back-street breeders. The Government needs first to implement the laws we have on dog welfare and then create a safe environment for dogs in Ireland. On the bully ban, there is no appeals process and this is simply unfair on both dogs and owners.”