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

This was a particularly sensitive issue. It relates to the role of authorised officers in the humane destruction of an animal.

Amendments Nos. 26, 27 and 56 are to sections 23 and 52. There was a lot of concern about ensuring a badly injured animal could be put down by a suitably qualified operative, and we now provide for this. We had said only a qualified vet could put an animal down but if, for example, there was a road accident when transporting cattle and there were animals with broken limbs, they would have to be put out of their misery quickly. If an authorised officer is present who is not a vet but is a qualified person from a knackery, for example, we must allow that person to take the appropriate course of action.

Deputy Ó Cuív was also concerned about the provision where an authorised officer intends to put down an animal, he must seek suitable veterinary advice to approve this action. There is an onus on someone who is not a vet to attempt to get veterinary advice before doing that. He must attempt to call a vet because everyone who works in a knackery yard will have the phone number of a vet and should try to call that vet to get some basic advice to approve what they are doing. If, however, they cannot contact the vet but have shown an attempt to contact him, they can proceed and put the animal down, if that is what is necessary. That is important, because otherwise we could find ourselves in an awkward situation in gruesome circumstances where animals are screaming and they cannot be put down while a person waits for a vet to arrive. No one would support that.