Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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570. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has raised the increase in the number of incidences of cattle rustling throughout the country with the Department of Justice; if his Department has examined any measures that would reduce the illegal practice of cattle rustling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2773/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The theft of any property, including cattle, is a criminal offence and should be reported to the Garda Síochána which is the appropriate authority to investigate and pursue such criminality. Officers of my Department assist the Gardaí with their investigations into such reported events. There is also close liaison with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland such that the issue of stolen animals is being addressed on an all-island basis. Stolen cattle cannot be traded legally in the State as all bovines must bear official ear tags, be properly registered and be associated with the herd of the individual moving or selling the animal on the Department’s Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database. When cattle are reported as stolen to my Department, they are marked on the AIM database as being stolen on foot of a Garda report. If these animals are presented anywhere in the State for sale, slaughter or export they are checked against the database and will be rejected at these outlets and an investigation initiated.