Written answers

Thursday, 26 September 2013

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Animal Disease Controls

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

211. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if DEFRA UK has informed his Department of its intention to enforce pet passport regulations for animals being transported to the UK, including the enforcement of rabies vaccinations, micro-chipping of animals, and issuing of passports; if his attention has been drawn to the possible impact this will have on the resources of Irish Rescue centres for costs of vaccinations, costs for animals for 21 days before transportation after vaccination, if he will call for an exemption to the rabies vaccination taking into account that Ireland and the UK are rabies free; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40175/13]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

EU law relating to the protection of citizens from rabies provides that dogs, cats and ferrets moving between EU Member States must be accompanied by EU Pet Passports certifying microchip identification and rabies vaccination. Given that Ireland and UK have traditionally operated a rabies free zone, both States agreed, on a risk analysis basis, that border compliance checks would not be undertaken.

However, an increased focus by authorities within the UK on illegal puppy imports from elsewhere in the EU has lead to two recent incidents of dogs from Ireland being seized/detained in Britain, and the risk of further such incidents is likely to increase. In view of this, any person travelling with dogs to Britain is being advised by my Department to ensure that their exports are compliant with EU law as soon as possible.

While Ireland and the UK have been rabies free for many decades, Western Europe is now also free of rabies. The harmonised EU system under which passports and rabies vaccinations are required allows dog owners to bring their pets into and out of Ireland without a compulsory and lengthy quarantine. While both Ireland and the UK sought and achieved a legal provision providing the possibility of a derogation from rabies vaccination for non commercial pets movements from 2015, this was not extended to commercial traffic which includes any change of ownership. I understand that one charity is undertaking significant capital investment which should to some extent relieve the concerns expressed by some small charities about the cost of complying with EU rules.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.