Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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353. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will conduct a review of the enforcement of animal welfare laws in view of a recent increase in violent and public acts of violence and cruelty against animals. [28023/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have previously stated that incidents of animal cruelty are unacceptable and my Department devotes considerable resources to protecting animal welfare and for dealing with breaches of animal welfare legislation. The new Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which I introduced last year, provides for increased levels of penalties. This comprehensive Act sends a clear message to all that cruelty to animals is unacceptable and I believe that the increased penalties will act as a deterrent to perpetrators of such actions. For major cases taken on indictment, the maximum penalty has been raised from €100,000 to €250,000 with a maximum custodial sentence of five years imprisonment.

My Department continues to work very closely with welfare organisations, local authorities and An Garda Síochána in order to ensure intervention in cases of animal neglect or cruelty. In the past eighteen months, my Department has paid almost €3.8m to the various local authorities throughout the country to assist their work in implementing their responsibilities under the Control of Horses Act, 1996. This funding enables the local authorities through enacted by-laws to seize any horse posing a danger to persons or property or being kept or ridden in designated exclusion areas.

In view of the role animal welfare organisation can play in local communities, particularly in educating young people in animal welfare, I provided increased funding of €1.8m to 136 organisations involved in animal care and welfare services throughout the country to support their activities in 2014. The level of funding provided to these organisations has been increased for the third year in a row, reflecting the importance I attach to their work. To enable the reporting of incidences of animal cruelty, myDepartment continues to operate a network of regional offices throughout the country together with an Animal Welfare Helpline (lo call - 1850 211 990) and members of the public can report any instance where animal welfare may be compromised.