Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the organisations and persons who made submissions on the practice of electro-immobilisation to her, her Department and the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Welfare prior to her decision to ban the practice; the organisations she consulted with; and the consequences for safety on farms in circumstances where labour is scarce and suckler breeds are increasingly wild and dangerous. [17823/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In 2004 the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council requested the Scientific Advisory Committee on Animal Health and Welfare to evaluate the physical and psychological effects of electro-immobilisation on live farm animals subjected to this procedure and furnish a view.

The Committee examined all aspects of this issue and recommended that the practice should be prohibited. My Department also sought the considered views of various stakeholders on the recommendation, in particular from Veterinary Ireland; the Irish Farmers Association; Compassion in World Farming; Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association; Irish Co-operative Organisation Society Ltd; Teagasc and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Having considered all of the views received, I decided to accept the recommendation of the Committee to prohibit the use of electro-immobilisation on live farm animals. The ban will come into effect on the 1st June 2007.

While I was aware of the possible risks to operators in the handling of large and difficult animals, I felt that the continued use of electro-immobilisation could not be justified on animal welfare grounds. I was also aware that there may be numbers of animals on farms at present that require interventions and which are of an age and size which could cause risk to operators. That is why I delayed introducing this ban and the interval between now and 1 June 2007 should allow adequate time for those animals to be dealt with. My Department will also undertake an information campaign to promote early intervention in relation to dehorning, disbudding etc. of animals. It is also proposed to circulate information on these matters to the persons most directly involved i.e. farmers and veterinarians.