Mr. Brendan Gleeson:

I will not discuss an individual case but I will be as helpful and honest as I can. I will give the Deputy information on the number of prosecutions subsequent to this meeting. The Department has discretion as to whether to proceed with a prosecution. Generally speaking, these decisions are made by people involved in the case. It might be argued that the Department should dispense with its discretion in all of these cases. However, for example, sometimes animal welfare cases are also human welfare cases. There are sometimes complex situations locally, which people are aware of, and sometimes people try to work with the families of people involved in these cases to try to resolve the animal welfare issue. Sometimes the priority in cases like this is to resolve the animal welfare issue.

Regarding that letter, it came to my office. I did not see it and no Minister in the Department saw it. It was not a letter from a Minister, although there is a perception out there that it was. I am not saying the Deputy is suggesting that. It was a letter addressed by family members to the office of a Minister, which was just passed on to us without any comment or representation whatsoever. I want to be clear about that. There was no representation whatsoever made in relation to that case. However, a letter did come from family members. Maybe the Deputy feels that is not a satisfactory answer but I suppose-----