Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013: Post-Enactment Scrutiny (Resumed)

Mr. Martin Blake:

I take the point. That is true. It is not that we have not endeavoured to ensure their implementation. We have acknowledged we can do better on that legislation and we are looking at it at the moment. When it was put in place, it was a significant step forward from what was there before, which was nothing. This provided a mechanism by which potential purchasers could check something. We understand that one Act will not close all the loopholes, but it gives a reference point. We are working on that to improve it.