Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I also raise this issue in the context of insurance problems, an issue which is very live at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform at the moment. There have been huge increases in insurance premiums for marts which is not unrelated to health and safety issues. We need to find a solution in a collaborative way. The HSA should work with the mart owners and managers to find a solution. In many cases, problems arise when the animals are penned and waiting to enter the ring. For many elderly people, a visit to the mart is a social occasion during which they meet their friends and neighbours. Many young people also frequent the marts. Most Members of this House would not be at a mart unless an election was imminent. In those circumstances, we might think of the safety of Members of this House who might get themselves into a difficult position with animals waiting to go into the ring. We must understand that the mart is a place where people come together and communicate but it can be a very dangerous place. We must find a solution that works for everyone and the HSA should be central to that. I am not suggesting that the authority should be heavy handed or cause stress for those running the marts. I am talking about finding common-sense solutions, one of which is ensuring that when animals are in the pen waiting to go into the ring that nobody other than the employees of the mart are allowed into that area. Simple things like that can solve the problem.

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