Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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199. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will adopt recommendations by the veterinary official who accompanied a livestock shipment and the recommendations highlighted in the recently published scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority and will not authorise future shipments of livestock when sea temperatures of 25 degrees or above are predicted in view of the extremely high temperatures and humidity during recent shipments to Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53783/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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This Government supports the live export of animals as it is an important feature of normal activity in Ireland's agri food sector. My Department facilitates this trade, in line with existing legislation on the protection of animal welfare, recognising its critical importance to the Agri- Food sector, while ensuring that live animal exports are carried out in compliance with legislative requirements.

My Department consistently monitors long distance transport and has introduced additional requirements over the years based on feedback from our inspectors. My Department has received the recommendations which were published publicly by the European Food Safety Authority in September 2022. These recommendations will be highly influential when the European Commission publishes its review of the EU’s Animal Transport Regulation (Regulation EC number 1 of 2005) in the coming months.

I will continue to insist that such a review is informed by science and evidence based, and take account for example professional opinions and recommendations received from my officials as part of the normal course of their work.

My Department continues to work with the Commission to engage extensively with stakeholders and assess the need for and the implications of future changes and appropriate transitional arrangements, as necessary in the context of the Farm to Fork Strategy, and my own Department's animal welfare strategy.

Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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200. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that he is taking to ensure that cattle are not subjected to temperatures and humidity levels that cause severe heat stress to the animals for a large part of the journey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53784/22]

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.

Ireland has also introduced its own national legislation regulating animal welfare in dedicated livestock vessels, which lays down more stringent controls that go far beyond those in EU law. Furthermore, over the past three years, my Department has introduced extra controls on animal welfare during export by road, such as additional checks to prevent transport of animals during hot weather, an increase in the minimum space allowance for calves in trucks that is more than that specified in EU rules, and a requirement for drivers and attendants to undergo training every three years, rather than ten years as formerly.

Department officials and inspectors monitor compliance through a system of official controls, including advance checks of weather along the proposed journey, and veterinary inspection of lorries, livestock vessels and of all animals before they travel. Journeys must be notified to the Department in advance, and veterinary certification will only be provided where the journey complies with all animal transport and animal welfare regulations.

The Government supports the live export of animals as it plays an important part in competition in the market-place particularly for cattle. In that context, however, the Government requires that animal transport is carried out in compliance with Irish and European legislation.