Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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843.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider a phase out of elephants at Dublin Zoo, given that there is sufficient evidence (details supplied) that elephants do not thrive in captivity and many actually suffer, if he will confirm a timeline for such a phase out; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35040/24]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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844.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will immediately introduce a moratorium on breeding and importing exporting of elephants into the state, given that there is sufficient evidence (details supplied) that elephants do not thrive in captivity and many actually suffer in captivity, and given that many zoos have recognised this and are moving away from keeping elephants in captivity; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35041/24]

Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 843 and 844 together.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service in my Department is responsible for the regulation, inspection and licensing of zoos in Ireland. The European Communities (Licensing and Inspection of Zoos) Regulations 2003 provide the legislative basis for the inspection and licensing of zoos in Ireland. These Regulations give effect to EU Directive 1999/22/EC (the Zoo Directive).

The purpose of the Directive relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos is to protect wild fauna and to conserve biodiversity by providing for the adoption of measures by Member States for the licensing and inspection of zoos in the EU, thereby strengthening the role of zoos in the conservation of biodiversity.

In 2016, to support the existing legislation, my Department published the Irish Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (ISMZP), which can be found here: www.npws.ie/licencesandconsents/zoo-licences

There are no plans to make the changes suggested.