Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2026
872. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the formal arrangements that exist between An Garda Síochána and other public authorities, including his Department and local authorities, in relation to the referral, joint handling, or escalation of suspected animal cruelty or neglect cases. [29827/26]
View answer873. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the performance indicators, governance metrics, or oversight arrangements used by his Department to assess the effectiveness of the State’s response to alleged animal cruelty offences, including reporting rates, investigation progression, seizure action, prosecution rates, and case outcomes. [29828/26]
View answer874. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether any policy gaps, operational deficiencies, or data limitations have been identified by his Department or An Garda Síochána in relation to the recording and investigation of animal cruelty incidents; and if he will outline the steps being taken to address same. [29830/26]
View answer875. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role external bodies or agencies play in supporting investigations into animal cruelty incidents, including veterinary services or animal welfare organisations; and whether formal protocols exist governing such engagement. [29832/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 872, 873, 874 and 875 together.
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 strongly condemns the mistreatment of any animal and takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously. Neglect of or causing unnecessary suffering to animals is not acceptable in our society.
My Department is committed 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. In this regard, 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. Since the Act came into operation in March 2014, 226 cases have been successfully prosecuted. My Department keeps the Act under review in light of key developments in the area of animal welfare, the legislative environment more generally, and having regard to the practical lessons learned from operating the Act.
In 2025, a process was initiated to develop a new animal welfare strategy, which will act as a framework for engagement and collaboration to direct future activities with the aim of benefiting both animals and Irish society. Development of the strategy is now well underway following broad stakeholder engagement including a non-statutory public consultation. In excess of 1750 individual submissions were received as part of that process.
The new strategy will continue to adopt a ‘One Health, One Welfare’ approach, acknowledging and valuing the inter-dependencies between human, animal and environmental health, and taking an evidence-led approach to policy making, target-setting, monitoring and evaluation. I expect to launch the new welfare strategy in Q2, 2026.
My Department operates a confidential animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation. The dedicated email address and helpline in place for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare are:
Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379.
Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie.
My Department investigates all reports of alleged animal neglect or cruelty received, and appropriate action is taken up to and including enforcement where appropriate.
