Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

I will start by acknowledging and thanking the Deputy for the amount of work he has done and his dedication on this particular topic. I agree the issues merit the attention and the Minister, Deputy Heydon, is fully committed to building on the work already being undertaken to tackle the issue.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has lead responsibility within Government for animal welfare and takes its role seriously. It is committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even handed manner. The Department keeps animal welfare legislation under review with respect to developments in the areas of animal welfare and with regard to the practical lessons learned from the operation of the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act. The Department operates a confidential animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report incidents of animal welfare cruelty and neglect for investigation.

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