Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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522. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to strengthen the law to tackle abuses to animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28311/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Incidents of animal cruelty are totally unacceptable and my Department devotes considerable resources to protecting animal welfare and dealing with breaches of animal welfare legislation. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 has modernised the legal framework relating to the welfare of animals. Sections 11 and 12 of the Act 2013, which contain the main principles relating to the welfare of animals and cruelty to animals, provide that a person having an animal in his or her possession or control must safeguard and not threaten the health and welfare of the animal. In addition, it is an offence for a person to cause unnecessary suffering, endanger, neglect or be reckless regarding the health or welfare of any animal.

In order to ensure its effectiveness, the Act provides for increased levels of penalties for offences committed under the Act. For major cases taken on indictment, the maximum penalty has been increased from €100,000 to €250,000, with a maximum custodial sentence of five years imprisonment.  Section 58 of the Act also provides that a person convicted of an offence under the Act may be disqualified from keeping, owning or working with an animal.  These penalties are in keeping with Irish jurisprudence and therefore I do not envisage further changes.

However, my Department will continue to assess court outcomes in cruelty cases and will take account of these in any future review of the Act.