Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I heard the same thing this morning about how everyone is appalled and upset and that we now have a criminal investigation and a departmental investigation. To be honest, it seems to be handy cover for the Minister and the Government. The Department of agriculture has serious questions to answer. These questions are just as serious as those for the company. None of this happened on its own. None of it happened out of the blue. It happened because it was allowed to happen and people were used to a blind eye being shut to it.

Under law the departmental staff who were there can have access to any building where animals are kept. It is too coincidental to think RTÉ managed to get this on film but the departmental veterinarians who were there did not see how the animals were being treated. It was the same thing last July when we saw the "RTÉ Investigates" programme on the poor calves that were brutalised, kicked, beaten and thrown around the place. There was not a care in the world for them and they were only a few weeks old. What is the Department's attitude to welfare really? We would wonder whether the lightning move to shut down the plant was also a move to shut down the necessary scrutiny of the role of the Department of agriculture and the culture in the Department. It happened because it was allowed to happen.

Leopards do not change their spots. When someone with a previous conviction for animal cruelty gets to handle animals and supervise them, especially at the end of their lives like this, the leopard still has it spots. It adds insult to injury. It is insulting to the ordinary workers in the equine industry in Kildare. We are known as the "thoroughbred county". The ordinary workers who work in the stables and who work with horses love the animals. They love working with horses.

Some of them were really upset to see, the other night, what happened there. There has to be birth to death care of these animals. They make a fortune for their owners. It was terrible to see them being treated the way they were. It seems that the only thing the Department cares about is traceability. It does not seem to care about animal welfare at all. I want answers to the questions I asked today. I want the Minister of State to follow that up. The Ceann Comhairle is aware that I asked questions last week that were not answered properly. I sent them back to the Ceann Comhairle's office to ensure I get answers. We are entitled to answers.

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