Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a reasonable question and I wish to say two things to farmers on this issue. First, if one is unable to feed one's animals at present for whatever reason, regardless of whether one cannot get them out and has no fodder to feed them inside or cannot afford to buy feed or cannot access feed, there is absolutely no reason to allow an animal to starve in Ireland at present. There is a lo-call number on which one can contact the Department. It will deal with such calls on a case-by-case basis and is doing this at present. The Department is treating them confidentially and consequently, there is no loss of face in this regard. Essentially, the Department sends out a vet to assess the situation and then it accesses and pays for emergency fodder. The Department has now done this in many cases and has spent nearly €130,000 in recent weeks feeding animals in extreme cases. We have had more than 800 calls to that helpline, more than 300 of which have been serious. In the case of the others, we simply have put them in contact with local co-ops and markets to enable them to access feeds. The Department is there to help and not to punish people. This is the first message I wish to send to farmers.

Second, however, in the longer term, I cannot allow a situation in which animals are not being fed. There must be consequences if people allow their animals to starve or to become emaciated or whatever. Consequently, this is the reason this legislation is being put in place. If one is responsible for animals or if one owns animals, a major responsibility comes with that. Yes, the Department is there to help but it is also there to ensure that if one ignores the structures that can help one, of course there are consequences because the Department cannot allow situations in which animals are starving only for farmers then to simply state they were sorry but could not afford to buy fodder.

My point is this legislation allows the Department to take action if there is wilful neglect of animals. Equally, however, to balance that, the Department has put in place an animal welfare call line that is not a temporary measure but is a permanent facility for farmers who have difficulties for whatever reasons in respect of not being able to feed animals. Alternatively, it may not be a question of feeding the animals but the farmers may have a concern about another insoluble issue with regard to the welfare of their animals. There is a balance in this regard. A support system has been put in place that can kick into action, is well-financed and does not have an expenditure ceiling. Second, however, there is a responsibility on animal owners to use that facility or to feed their animals. Both are necessary as otherwise, one contributes to an animal welfare, which is not the purpose of this Bill.