I move amendment No. 1:
In section 14, subsection (4), page 7, line 52 to delete "place" and to insert "road".
When the House was discussing this Bill on Committee Stage, there were only two points of substance raised and these were both raised by Deputy Dillon. I promised I would have another look at those points before Report Stage. The first point concerned the phrase "public place" in section 14(4). Deputy Dillon suggested that the phrase was too restrictive and that it should be replaced by the words "public road". The Deputy considered that in certain areas a small farm might be so situated that the laying of poison on any portion of it might contravene the law. I think the Deputy has a point, and I have tabled this amendment accordingly.
The second point Deputy Dillon raised was that in section 20 (1) the limit of four greyhounds permitted to be exercised or led in public by one person should be increased. The original proposal in the Bill, as prepared by those who sponsored it as a Private Members' Bill, was that the number of greyhounds to be led or exercised in public should be limited to two. It was also proposed that there should be an age limit below which a person should not be allowed to lead greyhounds in public. The proposal now in the Bill was reached after consultation with Bord na gCon and the sponsors of the Bill, and I think it represents a fair compromise.