Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
765. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of cattle mortalities, serious illnesses, injuries, euthanasia incidents and premature births recorded on live export voyages to third countries in each of the past five years; and if he will provide the details, by shipment destination. [36551/26]
View answerThe trade in and the export of animals is a private commercial activity, but it is heavily regulated by European and National law which my Department enforces. My Department monitors compliance through a system of official controls, including advance checks to ensure all animals are fit for transport and comply with the terms of their health certification, veterinary checks of the livestock vessel, along with retrospective checks on GPS and temperature records. Journeys are only allowed in conditions whereby animals can be transported in compliance with the EU's animal welfare legislation and with Ireland’s national legislation.
|
Year |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 to date |
|
Number of animals exported to Third Counties via livestock vessel |
21,965 |
10,678 |
31,134 |
7,562 |
6,832 |
|
Mortalities* |
30 |
18 |
12 |
3 |
11 |
|
% number of mortalities |
0.137% |
0.169% |
0.039% |
0.040% |
0.161% |
|
Serious Illness* |
62 |
24 |
37 |
15 |
26 |
|
% number of Serious Illness |
0.282% |
0.225% |
0.119% |
0.198% |
0.381% |
|
Injuries* |
61 |
23 |
40 |
12 |
19 |
|
% number of Injuries |
0.278% |
0.215% |
0.129% |
0.159% |
0.278% |
|
Euthanasia Incidents |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
4 |
|
% number of Euthanasia |
0% |
0% |
0.019% |
0% |
0.059% |
|
Premature Births |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
|
% number of premature births |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0.040% |
0.161% |
*Please note that some injuries and illnesses subsequently resulted in mortalities, therefore duplication exists between the reported mortality, serious illness and injury figures.
The animals referred to in the table above were all bovine apart from one shipment in 2022 which was made up of both cattle and sheep.
My Department continues to collaborate closely with other EU Member States, the European Commission and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) with a view to improving animal welfare standards in third countries, as well as improving and standardising animal welfare during transport. Specifically, Ireland has committed to annual funding of €75,000 in support of WOAH capacity-building activities relating to the welfare of animals in the context of long-distance animal transport, slaughter and the transport of animals by sea.
