Written answers
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Pigmeat Sector
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1065. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he shares animal rights activist concerns that the EC Pig Directive is routinely breached not only by almost all pig farmers but also by Teagasc, the national agriculture and food industry research, advisory and training body, which is largely funded by the Government; his views on whether the issue is not just tail docking, pigs are not being provided with adequate enrichment, which is a major risk factor in tail biting; what actions will be taken to ensure compliance with the Directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13173/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is fully committed to the ongoing promotion of high animal welfare standards and to the continued enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare.
On the issue of the Pig Welfare Directive and specifically the matter of tail docking, I can confirm to the Deputy that all pig farms across the country are subject to animal welfare inspections, as part of official controls under the EU Pig Welfare Directive.
Since 2020, veterinary inspectors from my Department have implemented a programme specifically designed for on-farm pig welfare inspections. These inspections identify risk factors for tail biting, on all farms visited, inform the farmer of these risks and require the farmer in question, to address same. This includes the need to provide meaningful enrichment materials to pigs irrespective of the flooring type, with the aim of rearing pigs with intact tails in a sample of pens initially.
In addition to the tail biting risk factor inspections, officials from my department also carry out additional pig welfare inspections to check compliance with wider aspects of the Pig Welfare Directive.
My Department has been collaborating for a number of years with Animal Health Ireland and Teagasc to deliver a free pig welfare-tail biting risk assessment tool for pig farmers. This is important as it operates in parallel to the regulatory inspections previously outlined, and enables pig farmers to work with their own veterinary practitioner to identify farm-specific risk factors for tail biting and to develop an action plan to deal with risks.
In April 2023 I launched TAMS 3 - Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme. The scheme includes grant aid for new pig housing at the rate of 40% up to a maximum investment ceiling of €500,000. More importantly the specifications for pig housing under the scheme have been scrupulously researched in order to specifically address the issues that lead to tail biting. They include more space for pigs, provision of solid lying area, more feeding space and so on. I am confident that future housing constructed in line with this specification will, when combined with addressing the other relevant risk factors, enable pigs to be reared without the need for tail docking.
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