Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a budget will be allocated to his Department's early warning system that operates locally to provide assistance and support to farmers before welfare problems emerge. [17280/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Department operates an Early Warning/Intervention System (EWS) which is an initiative, introduced by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) and includes representatives from the farming bodies, the ISPCA and officials from my Department. Its objective is to provide a framework in  which farm animal welfare problems can be identified before they become critical and facilitates the provision of emergency assistance at an early stage. The EWS has served a very useful purpose over the years and the nature of its operation at county level has the benefit of its members being able to deal sympathetically with any emergency animal welfare situation occurring on farms. Farming and animal welfare organisations throughout the country are well aquainted with its operation and a considerable amount of work continues to be undertaken by those bodies at local level through the dissemination of information. Under the EWS arrangements, my officials, have been in a position to assist farmers who contacted the regional and district veterinary offices directly or via the Animal Welfare Helpline Call Save: 0761 064408, seeking the provision/purchase of emergency feed supplies and these requests have been dealt with appropriately. Sufficient resources are available for the conduct of the EWS arrangements.

The dedicated e-mail address and help-line are in place for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare.Helpline phone No: Call Save - 0761 064408, phone - 01 607 2379, dedicated email address -animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie