Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is alright. It is marvellous to be back in here again. I hope everyone, Members and staff alike, had a pleasant summer.

I rise to continue with the topic I raised in the House just before we finished for the summer, that is, animal welfare in Dublin Zoo. Dublin Zoo responded via the media to the statement I made then to call for "an independent investigation into these allegations" and that seems right and proper, but what did the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage do? That Department oversees the zoo by the way, not that one would have known that over the summer when I and my office were being bounced from Department to Department. No-one seemed to have a clue who was in charge and it was certainly a lesson for bright-eyed and bushy-tailed me. I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out who was responsible for the zoo. It was, by all accounts, the mystery of the summer. I am thankful the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage realised the error of its ways and that it was the body that had responsibility for the zoo and had the protected disclosure.

Colour me surprised when I learned, once again via the media, that the Department's own body for parks and wildlife would be investigating the claims made in the protected disclosure. I fail to see how it is possible for the same body that routinely inspects the zoo to now be charged with investigating the allegations of animal mistreatment. The allegations in that protected disclosure - more of which I will be raising in the coming weeks - should be properly and independently investigated and I do not understand how a body that was already overseeing the zoo can be charged with looking at things again. It is investigating its own investigations and that is ridiculous.

I have spoken to some of the staff of Dublin Zoo who were interviewed as part of this investigation. They told me they felt very intimidated. Another staff member was told they could not count when it came to issues of missing or indeed additional animals. The investigators also told staff they were there to investigate animal welfare and not issues of management or human resources. Let me assure Members that issues of human resourcing and management were covered in the protected disclosure. I am now not entirely sure what body is responsible for that. Will I be sent on yet another wild goose chase from Department to Department until the Minister eventually cottons on that these things fall under the Department's remit? To add insult to injury, there are no transcripts or recordings available of those interviews, despite interviewees making requests for their own data.

I had hoped I would come back here with news these concerns were dealt with and that a robust, open and fair investigation had taken place. However, I think I was overly ambitious and I do not have faith in the investigation. The staff I spoke to do not either. It seems to me there is going to be a whitewash to try to silence and cover up the allegations disclosed to me and shared with the Minister responsible. We owe more to the animals in the zoo, the public and the staff, and as politicians we owe more to our own public, than to stand over this ridiculous investigation and silencing of brave staff who are coming forward to raise real, genuine concerns for the animals because they know and believe Dublin Zoo can and should be the best zoo in Europe. I am immensely disappointed and can only try to relay the frustration, fear and disappointment on behalf of the staff who have come forward and spoken to me about this investigation and how things are happening. I assure everyone here I will not be letting this go.