Sinn Féin Senator Lynn Boylan has called on the Minister for Agriculture, with responsibility for animal welfare, to expand the scope of the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fur Farming) Bill to include provisions of her bill to close puppy-smuggling loopholes.

Senator Boylan said:

“I have a Bill that’s ready to go to close loopholes that enable puppy farmers to smuggle puppies out.

“My Bill would mean puppies seized at ports could be re-homed within five days. As it stands, it can take anything from 12-18 months to get a court order for them to be re-homed.

“Unscrupulous puppy farmers know this and they are cynically taking advantage of this loophole to tie up the resources of the animal welfare authorities like the DSPCA.

“There’s an opportune moment for Minister McConalogue to act on this important matter by expanding the scope of the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fur Farming) Bill to address these issues.

“The legislative programme is packed and this sort of opportunity might not come around for a long time. This simple bill would close a lacuna in the bill that only emerged after enactment.

“I have written to the Minister three times and have still received no response. He must act now. In the meantime, countless puppies will continue to stream out of the country.”