Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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332. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of calls received by his Department's confidential animal welfare helpline in each of the past five years; the number of these that resulted in investigations; and the outcome of those investigations. [60710/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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333. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a county-by-county breakdown of animal welfare complaints received through his Department's confidential helpline in 2024 and to date in 2025. [60711/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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334. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of prosecutions initiated following investigations into alleged animal cruelty or neglect reported to his Department's animal welfare helpline, in each of the past three years. [60712/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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335. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average response time from receipt of an animal welfare complaint to commencement of investigation; and the average time taken to conclude such investigations. [60713/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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336. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of animal welfare complaints received through his Department's helpline which were referred to other agencies, including An Garda Síochána or local authorities, in 2024 and to date in 2025. [60714/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 to 336, inclusive, together.

My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously and is committed to the enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013. Prosecutions under the Act are pursued following investigations by authorised officers who investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect. Offences under the Act may be prosecuted in the District Court by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities and members of An Garda Síochána. Matters tried on indictment are the remit of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the normal manner.

Since the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 came into operation in March 2014, over 200 cases have been successfully prosecuted by my Department and the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (formerly ISPCA and DSPCA).

My Department does not hold records on prosecutions taken by An Garda Síochána and local authorities.

I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner. All reports of alleged animal neglect or cruelty, received by my Department, are investigated and appropriate action is taken, however I do not comment on individual cases. If members of the public are aware of any cases of suspected abuse or neglect, they can contact my Department's animal welfare helpline on:

Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379

Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie

The number of calls received by my Department’s animal welfare helpline in each of the past five years is set out in Table 1.

The number of animal welfare complaints, broken down by county, received through my Department’s confidential animal welfare helpline in 2024 and up to 31st October 2025, is set out in Table 2.

The number of animal welfare complaints received through my Department’s helpline which were referred to other agencies, including An Garda Siochana or local authorities, in 2024 and up to 31st October 2025, is set out in Table 3.

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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337. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the procedures in place to ensure consistency and accountability in the handling and investigation of animal welfare complaints. [60715/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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338. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if independent monitoring or auditing is undertaken in respect of his Departments handling of animal welfare complaints; and if so, to provide details of same. [60716/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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339. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to establishing a national director of animal welfare to oversee animal welfare policy implementation, complaint handling, and inter-agency coordination. [60717/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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340. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the resources allocated to the animal welfare helpline and investigation functions in 2024 and to date in 2025, including staff numbers and funding. [60719/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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341. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the training provided to Departmental staff and authorised officers involved in investigating animal cruelty and neglect complaints. [60720/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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342. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any trends have been identified in the nature or frequency of animal welfare complaints received through his Department's helpline; and if these findings inform policy or enforcement priorities. [60721/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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343. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the nature of his Departments engagement with animal welfare organisations in relation to the receipt, referral, and investigation of complaints. [60722/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 to 343, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government places a positive emphasis on animal welfare and specifically commits to the continued robust enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare.

Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. My Department has lead policy responsibility within government for animal welfare and takes this matter most seriously. I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner.

All reports of alleged animal cruelty or neglect received by my Department are investigated. My Department and authorised officers appointed under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, including An Garda Síochána, Customs agents, local authorities, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA), undertake appropriate enforcement action, where breaches or shortcomings are identified. My Department keeps the Act under review in light of key developments in the areas of animal welfare, the law and having regard to the practical lessons learnt from operating the Act.

Since the introduction of the Act, approximately 1,000 staff within my Department have been designated as authorised officers, under the Act. A large number of these authorised officers are based in my Department’s network of Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country, providing nationwide coverage. Their responsibilities include carrying out welfare inspections in every county and providing advice and support to the keepers of animals, however primary responsibility for protecting the welfare of animals rests with the owner or keeper.

In 2021, my Department launched Ireland’s first Animal Welfare Strategy (2021-2025), which created a framework for engagement and collaboration with stakeholders to improve animal welfare. As well as establishing a dedicated Animal Welfare Division, who as part of their remit operate a confidential animal welfare Helpline and e-mail address through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation on:

Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379

Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie

The Animal Welfare Strategy is due for renewal this year.

In December 2024, my Department announced record funding of €6 million to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide, through the animal welfare grant programme, these awards also support the provision of education and knowledge sharing to the public on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, helping to raise animal welfare standards.

I am satisfied that these measures provide a comprehensive framework and sufficient safeguards to ensure the welfare of animals and I have no plans to set up any other authority.