Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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378. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the names of the ten largest egg production operations here; the number of birds that went through the system in each of the top five, in 2025; the number of mortalities in each of the top five producers in 2025; the reasons for these mortalities; the average age of the birds when they expired; the frequency of visits by Government-approved vets to all egg producer operations; whether visits by vets are by arrangement or if they are unannounced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50437/26]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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As a result of the EU General Data Protection Regulations, the Data Protection Act and commercial sensitivity I cannot provide the identities of the 10 largest egg production operations or the number of birds that went through the system in each of the top five producers.

My Department does not collect data on the number of mortalities and the reasons for mortalities for hen producers. The average age of end-of-lay birds on poultry holdings is 80 weeks of age.

A number of laying hen flocks are selected for inspection each year to check compliance with the EU and domestic legislation on laying hen welfare. The flocks are generally selected based on risk and the inspections are carried out by my Department. Inspection of laying hen flocks can also take place as a result of a welfare incident or a report that requires on-farm follow up. In addition to animal welfare inspections, layer flocks are also inspected periodically for other purposes for example for trade and animal health surveillance reasons. Inspections may be announced or unannounced.

There were 287 egg producer operations inspected in 2025 by my Department for compliance with animal welfare and food hygiene legislative requirements.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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379. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 720 of 16 June 2026, if he will clarify if any birds on Irish egg producer operations, be they enriched, barn or free range, have their beaks trimmed; if so, to provide accurate statistics on the number of birds whose beaks were trimmed in 2025; the breakdown for enriched, barn and free range; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50438/26]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Birds for the laying hen sector in Ireland are imported as day old chicks from Great Britain. Beak trimming is carried out on the birds prior to arrival. The majority of birds in the Irish laying hen sector, including those in enriched caged, barn and free range systems have had their beaks trimmed.

As the beak trimming process is not carried out in Ireland I am not in a position to provide specific data on beak trimming carried out in 2025. However, based on data held in my Department, there are an estimated 1,063,200 birds in enriched caged systems, 1,100,556 birds in barn systems and 1,939,312 birds in free range layer system.

Organic egg layer flocks have a no-beak trimming policy because this is a specific requirement of the EU organic legislation and there are an estimated 142,961 birds in organic layer systems .

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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380. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of day-old female chicks that were imported into Ireland in 2025; the countries from which these day-old chicks were imported; the breakdown in numbers for each country; the way in which the chicks were packed for transport; the method and duration of transport from the overseas hatchery to the egg producer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50439/26]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The data required to fully answer this enquiry is not readily available. My Department is working to collate the data required and will respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.