Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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169. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to provide additional resources to monitor welfare standards by increasing the veterinary presence available on all live export consignments to third countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7004/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine only permits animals to be transported in compliance with the EU's animal welfare legislation, and Ireland's own national legislation regulating animal welfare in dedicated livestock vessels, which lays down more stringent controls that go beyond those in EU rules. Within the past two years, my Department has further enhanced the controls applied regarding animals on long distance transport, in particular relating to transport during hot weather.

An official veterinarian accompanied one voyage of cattle on a dedicated livestock vessel during 2020, and one voyage during 2021. The resurgence of COVID-19 in Ireland and throughout Europe during 2021 has made such accompaniment challenging. It is planned to resume such accompaniments once it is deemed safe, in line with the commitment set out in the Programme for Government.

The Government supports the live export of animals as it plays an important part in competition in the market-place for cattle in particular. In that context however, government demands that the highest welfare standards apply.

Department officials and inspectors monitor compliance through a system of official controls, including advance checks of paperwork and veterinary checks of the livestock vessel and of all animals before they travel, along with retrospective checks on GPS and temperature records. In general, animals travel well and arrive in good condition.