Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the motion tabled by Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and the Independents 4 Change and we support many of the points in it. We are putting forward an amendment, however, which reads:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:“ recognises:

— the robust regulatory framework in place under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which ensures the highest standards in animal welfare are maintained and a strict sanctioning regime for offenders;

— how the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 gives authorised officer status to employees of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Turf Club to carry out welfare related duties;

— that the European Communities (Animal Transport and Control Post) Regulations 2006 established a vehicle inspections system nationwide on all forms of animal transport to ensure the protection of animals in transit, strict standards for animal handling, hygiene arrangements, feeding and rest periods;

— that detailed inspections are obligatory before approval is granted to ships transporting animals, with current Irish regulations relating to the approval of livestock transport ships set at a higher level than what applies in many other European Union countries;

— how all live animals being traded from the State must have a veterinary health certificate from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirming disease free status and notifying each animal movement via the European Commission’s Trade Control and Expert System;

— the significant co-operation between Ireland and Northern Ireland in animal health and welfare with the highly important All Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy being delivered in both jurisdictions as agreed by the North South Ministerial Council;

— that cruelty to animals is unacceptable and should not be tolerated; and

— the substantial work of individuals, families, animal welfare groups and activists in highlighting animal welfare issues; and

calls:

— on the Government and relevant authorities to ensure that the current animal welfare protection regulations are robustly enforced and that any offences which occur are promptly investigated and the full sanctioning powers applied;

— for adequate animal welfare funding by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to organisations who directly deliver animal care and welfare services; and

— on the Government to ensure that the All Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy is protected in upcoming Brexit negotiations to guarantee the continued operation of a unified animal health and welfare approach on this island.”

This amendment deals with the most important thing that needs to happen, which is enforcement and ensuring that standards for the welfare of animals are prioritised at Government level. Resources need to be in place to ensure the regulatory system works, there are no instances of animal cruelty and welfare is paramount.

The motion outlines the progress that has been made since the introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and states that public policy needs to be directed towards ensuring all possible measures are taken to protect the welfare of animals. The motion also calls for the introduction of a comprehensive system for monitoring the conditions in which animals are kept, and seeks robust regulations to protect animals from abuse, cruel treatment, neglect and poor living conditions. Our key point is that a very strong and robust regulatory framework is in place as a result of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which ensures high standards in animal welfare and that strict sanctioning is in place for offenders.

It is important that the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 gives authorised officer status to employees of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ISPCA, the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, DSPCA, and the Turf Club, to carry out welfare related duties. The motion also calls for funding to be put in place to back all this up in order that we can see real progress in the monitoring of animal welfare and ensure there is no place for cruelty. Where there are instances of cruelty we, as a State, need to be equipped to respond to it properly, to root it out and to bring the power of the law to bear on those who abuse it.

My party was involved in the first draft of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and, in previous Governments, Fianna Fáil introduced the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2010 and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, but since the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 was introduced, 34 successful prosecutions have been taken by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and I understand an additional 26 are ongoing, with further prosecutions being taken at regional level by the Garda Síochána. There are inadequacies in the backup and support available to ensure these measures are fully implemented.

Everybody in this House and the vast majority across the board have great care and respect for animals. Animals play a very significant part in the lives of those who keep them as pets. I am my party's agriculture spokesperson and I engage with the farming community. I see at first hand the care and respect the farming community has for animals. It is crucial we have robust structures in place to ensure reports on those who do not respect animals or who oversee or inflict cruelty on them are acted on immediately. There need to be proper resources in order that the officers who oversee the legislation have a strong awareness of instances of abuse and can act immediately. We need an increase in spending from the Department to resource the agencies which enforce this legislation. It is not enough to have a dozen officers covering most of the country. The local authorities and veterinary sections are under significant pressure, and the Department needs to address this and ramp up its support.

Before the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, there was a disparate set of regulations and laws around this area and it was important that it was all brought together in legislation which was clear and could be properly enforced. The introduction of fines was welcome and is proving to help streamline the system. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 introduced a standard maximum fine of €5,000 and, on major indictment, fines ranging from €100,000 to €250,000. They were welcome introductions to the oversight system. The Bill also ensured animal health and cruelty issues were brought together when, previously, they had been separate issues.

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