Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the animal welfare available in each county; and the protection in place for animals. [22035/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of farmed animals under the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984, and the European Communities (Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes) Regulations 2006. There is also specific legislation in place in relation to pigs, calves and laying hens. The legislation is enforced in each county by officers based in my Department's District Veterinary Offices. Funding is available to deal with emergency care, feeding, transport etc. of welfare compromised farm animals.

The Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council which promotes and addresses issues of animal welfare in a practical manner developed an Early Warning Intervention System (EWS) in 2004 to deal with animal welfare cases. This involves my Department, the Irish Farmers' Association and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals working in unison in providing a framework within which farm animal welfare problems can be identified in each county before they become critical or overwhelming. The new system allows for concerned individuals to approach their local IFA representatives, their local SPCA or my Department in the knowledge that the matter will thereafter be dealt with an effective and sensitive manner.

In addition to the foregoing, my Department makes ex gratia payments annually to organisations based around the country directly involved in the provision of animal care and welfare services, to assist in their on-going work. To date, a total of €7.2m has been paid to such bodies, some €1.24 million of which was paid to organisations in December last to assist them during 2007. A provision of €1.3 million for this purpose is included in my Department's Estimates for 2007.