I propose that the petitions considered by this committee at our meeting and in previous meetings will be published and that replies from Departments and other bodies will also be published. Is that agreed? Agreed.

We have four petitions to discuss this morning. The first is a petition on the reform of the Seanad from Mr. Tomás Heneghan. We did receive correspondence from the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, which we will forward to the petitioner, and we will publish it. I also propose that we write to the Leader of the Seanad and get a more detailed or substantive reply. Are we agreed on that? Agreed.

The second petition relates to the banning of surgical artificial insemination of greyhounds, which was submitted by Dog Law Ireland. We have a response from the Department of agriculture. The proposal is that we will forward that to the petitioner and that we will also publish the correspondence. Do members have any views?

I notice that the letter from the Department does not mention the public consultation and draft regulations on surgical artificial insemination. Surgical artificial insemination is barbaric. A total of 500 surgical artificial inseminations took place in the last four years alone on racing and coursing greyhounds. It is inconsistent with the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. It is clearly highly invasive because a female dog is cut open, the uterus is removed and semen is inserted, after which the uterus is returned. The dog is then sewn up again and expected to survive, live and deliver the pups while recovering from that surgical operation. The Veterinary Council of Ireland said the ban should encompass all breeds of dog but because of the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005, it was not extended to greyhounds. This is something on which consultations have been carried out. The Department of agriculture has carried out some research and the submissions received were overwhelmingly against surgical artificial insemination. They supported this practice being ended.

Last year, 3,000 greyhounds were killed. That was Greyhound Racing Ireland's own admission. Some €19 million in taxpayers' money is allocated to Greyhound Racing Ireland and there is no transparency. It has no plan and business plan. The consideration for dog welfare is lamentable if it exists at all. There are two homing facilities for greyhounds. The figures show that it costs €8,000 for a greyhound to be housed by these two homing bodies. Dog rescues around the country do it for a fraction of that amount with the help of volunteers and very committed individuals. Greyhound Racing Ireland has no accountability. It has no transparency or consideration for dog welfare. Some measures need to be put in place.

I am going to interrupt Senator Andrews if he does not mind. We have not written to Greyhound Racing Ireland, we have written to the Department of agriculture. We have not broadened it out. My proposal for the Senator to consider is that we will allow the correspondence from the Department of agriculture to go to the petitioner. We will wait to have its response and then we will consider what is the next best move for the committee to make. Does the Senator agree to that?

Yes.

Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next petition is on mandatory mould inspection, air quality clarification and standards in rental housing. This is a very current piece of work that has been done. To a certain extent, it links with other issues that we have considered previously in relation to inner city flats, albeit that they are social housing rather than privately rented. We have correspondence from the Department of housing. The proposal is that we will forward it to the petitioner and that we will publish that. Is that agreed?

I agree with the Chair. The standards in private and public housing are absolutely unacceptable. If someone is in private rented housing, they have access to the RTB. Unfortunately, if someone is in public housing and they have issues like this they have no recourse to the Residential Tenancies Board. This is a very important and valid petition.

A good point was made about there being no legal requirements for mould or air quality certification. There is no requirement for anyone to measure it, so therefore it is not being measured. That is an interesting one.

I am just laughing at what the Chair said about there being no way of measuring it. I had a client in with me yesterday. I have seen mould before where you would actually wipe your feet coming out of the house rather than going into it. In this case, you could measure the mushrooms on the door-frame. They are paying rent and they are being ignored. They have continuous health problems. Every time they approach the council all they get is excuses. I am very interested to see what response we will get back. It is a pity I do not have the photographs from the individual who was in with me. They were supposed to send them to me. My God, it was crazy.

As public representatives we have all seen our fair share of pictures of mould. I certainly have. Some of it is absolutely shocking. The idea that people are paying to rent some of these places is repugnant, but that is indicative of the fact that there is very little choice for people and they are getting squeezed. That is no reason for people to live in those harmful conditions. We should look to hold a hearing on this but the next step is to forward the correspondence and to get the response from the petitioner. Is that agreed?

That is agreed.

Agreed. The fourth petition is the review of the eligibility criteria for presidential candidates in Ireland.

We have correspondence from the Department of housing. The proposal is that we send that to the petitioner for their views. Do members have any contrary view to that or is that agreed?

Agreed, Chair.

Agreed. That concludes our consideration of public petitions. I invite members of the public to submit petitions via our online portal, which is available at petitions.oireachtas.ie. A petition may be addressed to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a matter of general public concern or interest or an issue of public policy.

Do members have any other issues they wish to raise under any other business?

No, Chair.

With there being no further issues, I propose that the committee is adjourned until Tuesday, 12 May at 11 a.m., when we will meet in private and public session. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.