Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Today I draw attention to the dire conditions in the pig industry revealed yesterday by both the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland. They partnered a few months ago in January 2024 to investigate Ireland's pig industry. They chose at random the pig farms to go into in an effort to give an honest insight as to what happens in Irish pig farms. The results were absolutely devastating and horrific. They are available online if anyone wants to see. It takes a strong stomach to watch the videos because the footage is absolutely appalling. The National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion Ireland asked a simple question: "What is the life of a pig in Ireland?" Unfortunately, the answer was incredibly simple; it is an absolutely awful, horrific life. Pigs on Irish farms are subject to sow stalls, farrowing crates, fattening pens, lack of adequate veterinary treatments, internal infections, dying and dead pigs left in corridors and piled up outside. To top this off there are such conditions as diarrhoea, stress-caused hunger, open internal wounds, potbellies and arthritis. These complications are reflected in agricultural antibiotic consumption as 40% of the veterinary antibiotic prescriptions in Ireland are for pigs. This diseased flesh is further reconsumed in the UK and Ireland. There are reasonable concerns about the impact that can have on the well-being of those who consume it.

It is important to bring attention to some of the issues that lie at the core of this problem. Warrants for inspections are extremely common, allowing room for biased inspection results and forged farm conditions at the time of inspection. Furthermore, there are many loopholes enabling unethical practices on the farm, such as tail docking, which is banned in the EU. These are issues that require immediate attention. It is striking that 99% of all Irish pigs live in these conditions.

Ireland's meat sector not only involves injustice to animals but also to farmers and exploited workers. The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland highlighted that workers in the meat sector are poorly paid, poorly treated and not one single worker who they surveyed, felt valued. This is not just an animal rights and welfare issue. It is also an issue that affects the workers in the sector. Quite frankly, the pig industry is an abomination. Nobody could look at the pigs in those stalls, crates or pens and convince themselves that they are content or well cared for. I have spoken here before about our need to have a conversation about animal welfare and to have the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine come in. I have talked about wildlife welfare. Other people in this House have talked about this too. It is actually time for us to have a conversation about this, not just the vegan in the room. There are other Senators in this House who have said we have to have a conversation about how we treat our livestock and animals in Ireland. I think we should invite the Minister in.