Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed)

3:00 pm

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to prolong the debate unnecessarily, but there are many unfenced commonages. I understand farmers are liable if their cattle stray onto a road, but if sheep do likewise, the driver is liable for any damage done, which is the way it should be. It is not possible to fence many commonages and one would not receive planning permission to do so. I am delighted, therefore, that the Minister accepts my amendment. I am also pleased that he is accepting the term "reasonable". The best farmer in the world cannot always prevent animals from escaping. The word "necessary" implies that one can always guarantee animals will not stray. I refer, in particular, to the mountain sheep in the part of the world in which I live.

Many lowland farmers have found that they will get through places that they never dreamed any sheep could get through. I support Deputy Thomas Pringle's amendment. Last weekend I spoke to a sheep farmer about the relative risks to young lambs. He said mink posed the greatest risk in our area when they escaped, while grey crows and the fox were others. However, he was more philosophical about the fox because he reckoned that to exist it had to eat sheep and the odd sheep missing was the price to be paid for balance in nature. It is not that they would not try to keep the number of foxes down within reason, but farmers accept that they will lose lambs to foxes. It is good that the onus will be on mink farmers to keep them out of harm's way.

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