Written answers

Tuesday, 30 May 2023

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Animal Welfare

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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577. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were convicted of a €5,000 penalty under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26368/23]

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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579. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were fined €250,000 under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26370/23]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 and 579 together.

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on 6 March 2014.

Prosecutions under the Act have been pursued following investigations by authorised officers of my Department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These officers investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect and, where the evidence supports such action, a file prepared and the matter pursued through the Courts.

Offences under the Act may be prosecuted in the District Court by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities and member of An Garda Síochána. Matters tried on indictment are the remit of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the normal manner. Accordingly, the statistics set down in the answer relate only to cases prosecuted at the suit of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

A list of financial penalties issued by the Courts to individuals for each of the years in question is provided below:

Year
Financial penalties issued by the Courts under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013
2020
€5,000
2020
€2,000
2020
€9,500
2020
€2,800
2020
€1,500
2021
€1,600
2021
€1,100
2021
€4,500
2021
€2,500
2021
€1,500
2021
€400
2021
€1,640
2021
€1,500
2021
€1,550
2021
€2,800
2021
€1,346
2022
€1,200
2022
€7,500
2022
€500
2022
€4,000
2022
€300
2022
€840
2022
€3,267
2022
€5,750
2022
€2,450
2022
€1,250
2022
€6,500
2022
€3,000
2022
€600
2022
€4,500
2022
€1,500
2022
€3,500
2023
€4,000
2023
€4,704
2023
€1,300
2023
€800
2023
€960
2023
€500
2023
€7,600
2023
€2,117
2023
€5,400
2023
€3,500
2023
€6,300

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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578. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were imprisoned for six months under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26369/23]

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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580. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were imprisoned for up to five years under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26371/23]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 580 together.

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on 6th March 2014.

Prosecutions under the Act have been pursued following investigations by authorised officers of my Department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These officers investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect and, where the evidence supports such action, a file prepared and the matter pursued through the Courts.

Offences under the Act may be prosecuted in the District Court by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities and member of An Garda Síochána. Matters tried on indictment are the remit of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the normal manner. Accordingly, the statistics set down in this answer relate only to cases prosecuted at the suit of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, a full list of prison/suspended sentences for the years in question is provided below:

2020
Five months (one month suspended) imprisonment
2020
Four month suspended for two years
2020
Three month custodial sentence suspended for one year
2021
Four months imprisonment suspended in full for two years
2021
Four months imprisonment suspended for one year
2021
Five months imprisonment (suspended)
2022
Two months imprisonment (suspended)
2022
240 hours community service in lieu of nine months imprisonment
2023
Six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months
2023
Six month custodial sentence on each of three offences (to run concurrently) suspended for one year.

Photo of Pádraig O'SullivanPádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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581. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were disqualified from owning animals under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26372/23]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on 6 March 2014.

Prosecutions under the Act have been pursued following investigations by authorised officers of my Department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These officers investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect and, where the evidence supports such action, a file prepared and the matter pursued through the Courts.

Offences under the Act may be prosecuted in the District Court by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities and member of An Garda Síochána. Matters tried on indictment are the remit of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the normal manner. Accordingly, the statistics set down in the answer relate only to cases prosecuted at the suit of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Year
Persons disqualified from owning animals under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013
2020
Four
2021
Five
2022
Five
2023
Five

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