Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
578. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were imprisoned for six months under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26369/23]
View answer580. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who were imprisoned for up to five years under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26371/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 580 together.
The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on 6th March 2014.
Prosecutions under the Act have been pursued following investigations by authorised officers of my Department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These officers investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect and, where the evidence supports such action, a file prepared and the matter pursued through the Courts.
Offences under the Act may be prosecuted in the District Court by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, local authorities and member of An Garda Síochána. Matters tried on indictment are the remit of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the normal manner. Accordingly, the statistics set down in this answer relate only to cases prosecuted at the suit of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, a full list of prison/suspended sentences for the years in question is provided below:
|
2020 |
Five months (one month suspended) imprisonment |
|
2020 |
Four month suspended for two years |
|
2020 |
Three month custodial sentence suspended for one year |
|
2021 |
Four months imprisonment suspended in full for two years |
|
2021 |
Four months imprisonment suspended for one year |
|
2021 |
Five months imprisonment (suspended) |
|
2022 |
Two months imprisonment (suspended) |
|
2022 |
240 hours community service in lieu of nine months imprisonment |
|
2023 |
Six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months |
|
2023 |
Six month custodial sentence on each of three offences (to run concurrently) suspended for one year. |
