Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013, my Department has primary policy responsibility for the welfare of all animals.

Since the introduction of the Act, over 1,000 Department officials have been designated as authorised officers under the Act and their responsibilities include the enforcement of animal welfare legislation provided for under the Act. A large number of these authorised officers are based in my Department's network of Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country, including the Regional Veterinary Office in Limerick.

Members of An Garda Síochána and officers of the Customs and Excise Service are directly authorised under the Act. The CEO of a local authority may also appoint officers of that local authority as authorised officers under the Act.

The Minister may also enter into service agreements under which authorised officers may be appointed. Inspectors of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Rásaíocht Con Eireann, and the Irish Horse Racing Board have been appointed as authorised officers in this way. It is the responsibility of these organisations to then allocate these staff resources as appropriate to their particular roles.

In December 2022, I announced the record allocation of over €5.8 million in funding to 99 animal welfare charities throughout the country, under the Animal Welfare Grants Programme. This achieved and exceeded the commitment in the Programme for Government to double the funding allocated within two years and marks the largest award of grant funding to animal welfare bodies ever made by my Department.

The importance of education and dissemination of knowledge to improve animal welfare, was an important criteria of this funding. Imparting knowledge on animal welfare plays a crucial role in improving standards nationally and can raise awareness on responsible animal ownership.

My Department operates a confidential animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation.

The dedicated e-mail address and Helpline in place for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare are:

Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379.

Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie