Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jan 1995

Vol. 447 No. 11

Written Answers. - Transport of Animals.

Tony Gregory

Question:

250 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of animals who were injured or who died in transit between Ireland and North Africa, Ireland and the Middle East and between Ireland and any other non-EU State for each of the last five years. [1009/95]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

Statistics on the number of cattle that died or were killed in transit between Ireland, North Africa and the Middle East are available only from January 1993.

	1993	1994
Number of live cattle shipments	153	174
Number of cattle in above shipments	200,849	238,783
Number of mortalities	310	274
Mortalities per cent of total	0.15%	0.115%

There are no exports of live animals to non EU countries other than North Africa and the Middle East.

All animals leaving the country are inspected by a State veterinarian. A certificate of fitness to travel and health certificate must be issued before exportation takes place. These are issued only following a satisfactory clinical examination indicating that the animals are not suffering from injury or disease.

Ships on which animals are transported must be approved in advance and the suitability of these vessels is reviewed from time to time. Approval criteria have strict regard to the ventilation, drainage, feeding and watering requirements of animals during their journey. Veterinary inspectors accompany selected consignments to their destination to monitor the wellbeing of the animals. Further measures to deal with the export of live animals are under consideration in the Council of Ministers.