I want to thank Deputies who made contributions in the course of the debate for the manner in which they accepted the Bill, and also for the kind personal sentiments they expressed in regard to myself and my new office. I do not want to say a great deal at this stage because this Bill, as Deputy Booth pointed out, is primarily a Committee Stage Bill and we shall have an opportunity of discussing very fully on the different sections the points raised by Deputies on this Stage of the Bill.
I feel I should say again how very worthy the efforts of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have been in this regard. I want to go on record as saying that far from being cranks or busybodies, we have found them, in the course of discussions on the Bill, to be very reasonable people indeed. In this field of animal welfare it is from people from outside the ranks of what I might call the legitimate workers in the field that we get hysteria from time to time. The people who labour day in and day out in the ranks of the various humanitarian organisations are always reasonable in their proposals and suggestions so far as I can see.
I should like also to say that great work was done in the Seanad on this Bill. We are indebted to a number of Senators with special technical qualifications, for a number of the improvements which were made to the Bill in the Seanad. I hope we will be able to say the same about the Bill when it leaves the Dáil. A number of Deputies have a special interest in this field and they have a great deal of technical knowledge about it. I am sure that between us we will be able to agree upon a very useful measure indeed.