Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

139. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department is taking to tackle the neglect and abuse of horses in Cork North Central, particularly with summer approaching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13683/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The welfare of equines is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action is undertaken by my Department and authorised officers under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, including An Garda Síochána, Customs agents, authorised officers appointed by local authorities, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA), where breaches or shortcomings are identified. Any reports of welfare issues received by my Department, including breaches of the animal welfare legislation, are acted upon and investigated.

I am fully committed to supporting sustainable initiatives in line with the Programme for Government and Working Together for Animal Welfare, Ireland's Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025. As part of this commitment, I continue to support urban horse projects nationwide, working with local authorities, charities and community stakeholders. These projects have proven very successful and are aimed specifically at equine welfare and marginalised communities. The projects can foster community leadership and education in responsible horse ownership for young people.

From 2015 to date, over €2 million has been spent on urban horse projects by my Department, with €150,000 allocated for these projects in 2025. The Urban Horse projects greatly benefit the welfare of equines and of young people from disadvantaged communities or backgrounds. There are currently eight live projects and in October 2023, my Department hosted a seminar dedicated to the promotion of the urban horse projects which resulted in new applicants.

Last year, my Department awarded six million euros in funding, which went to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country, under the Animal Welfare Grants Programme. Of that figure, just over €3.4 million was awarded to charities involved in the care and welfare of horses, with €568,175, of that figure, awarded to charities involved in equine care, based in Cork.

More generally, my Department recently published a report by Professor Paddy Wall on equine traceability and welfare, and has prepared an action plan to implement its recommendations.

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

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

140. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the checks in place to ensure pig farms in the State maintain the highest animal welfare standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13736/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We have robust legislation in this country to protect the welfare of animals.

In the case of pigs there is sector specific legislation in place which is based on the EU pig welfare legislation. Official veterinarians in my Department carry out a number of inspections of pig farms each year to check compliance with the requirements of this legislation.

Herds are selected based on risk and where non-compliances are found these are followed up.

Other initiatives have also been developed in recent years to improve pig welfare- for example a free tail biting risk assessment tool which aims to identify farm-specific tail biting risk factors and enable the farmer and his or her veterinary practitioner to develop an action plan to deal with those risks. There has been positive uptake of this tool on Irish pig farms.

In recent weeks my Department published an updated specification for pig housing funded under the TAMS 3 Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme. The specifications include a number of requirements that are positive for pig welfare, for example, more space, more comfortable flooring, more feeding space and a requirement for larger farrowing pens in which sows can only be kept in a crate for a few days in and around farrowing- the rest of the time she must be loose in the pen with her piglets. Significant funding towards this new infrastructure has been made available to pig farmers with grant aid being paid at the rate of 40% up to the applicable maximum investment ceiling of €500,000.

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