Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
1334. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if an exemption to the regulations applied to a facility (details supplied) in County Kerry will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24533/18]
View answerMy Department is responsible for implementing EU law, and specifically the European Communities (Licensing and Inspection of Zoos) Regulations 2003 (S.I. No 440 of 2003). My Department has a statutory role to ensure all premises identified as zoos in Ireland are inspected and licensed, if appropriate, each year.
The Irish Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (ISMZP), published by my Department in 2016, support the legislation and provide clarity to zoos on what is expected of them in order to be in compliance with the existing legislative and policy framework. Any premises that exhibits to the public animals of wild species for more than 7 days a year is classed as a zoo for the purpose of the legislation.
At present, 83 establishments that meet this definition of a zoo have been identified in the State. 61 have either licences or exemptions and the remaining establishments will be licensed or exempted this year. My Department has not received an application for an exemption from the facility referred to in the question.
As a licensed zoo, the facility was scheduled to be inspected on the 14th June 2018. However, the owners contacted my Department on the 29th May, stating that they would no longer open to the public and requesting that the inspection be cancelled. Officials from the National Parks and Wildlife Service are in contact with the owners on this matter.
I would stress that my Department does not necessarily expect that all zoos will meet all the required standards on the first inspection. The zoo inspectorate works closely with zoos on an achievable and agreed plan to bring them up to the standard required and ensure the best possible conditions for animal populations and also to ensure that wider biodiversity and conservation objectives are realized. My Department plays an important role in monitoring zoos and setting policy and guidelines that help raise standards across the sector, benefitting the animal populations in the zoos and ensuring health and safety standards are maintained for all staff and visitors.
