Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2024
589. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department will take following from the RTÉ Prime Time documentary on calves, given that abuse at marts was uncovered by another RTÉ exposé last year; and why the investigation is still pending, with no one prosecuted on animal welfare charges. [42433/24]
View answerIt is the policy of my Department to investigate all allegations of illegal or criminal behaviour. Even in advance of the broadcast of 8th October, my Department had sought all unedited relevant footage from RTÉ of welfare abuses in the Irish premise's featured and when these are received they will be thoroughly reviewed, analysed and follow-up will be undertaken with all relevant persons as part of the Department's investigation.
My Department's investigation into the animal welfare related incidents that were highlighted in footage broadcast by RTÉ on 10 July 2023 remains ongoing.
This is a complex investigation involving many hours of video footage, multiple locations and multiple persons.
Progressing investigations of this nature does take time, and the Department’s focus remains on ensuring that enforcement action, as appropriate, will be taken once all relevant evidential matters are fully collated, authenticated, and analysed.
Since the investigations into the incidents highlighted in the July 2023 broadcast are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further except to clarify that there is relevant legislation, which is applicable to the alleged offences highlighted, to which a 2-year statute-bound timeframe applies for bringing summary prosecution proceedings.
