Parliamentary questions

Departmental Investigations

Maureen O'Sullivan

266. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale for his Department effectively disbanding the special investigations unit which was a very effective unit in ensuring that standard legal requirements in terms of animal welfare were being met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43116/14]

Beef Industry

Maureen O'Sullivan

92. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that his Department does not know the ultimate beneficial ownership of many, if not all, beef processing plants licensed to operate here and is not concerned to know; in view of this if he will report on how, ultimately, the regulations affecting those plants are enforceable; where there are breaches, if he will indicate where penalties are applied; if there is a real risk to the operation of market forces where plants, seemingly in competition, are in fact collaborating because they are in common, concealed, ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42328/14]

Control of Dogs

Maureen O'Sullivan

37. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if cardiac injection is used in the killing of dogs in dog pounds; if so, how it is compatible with new animal welfare legislation; if this product was used by a pound (details supplied); if so, when was Clare County Council aware of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39337/14]

Beef Industry Irregularities

Maureen O'Sullivan

41. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 105 of 18 September 2014, his views on concerns that the operation of price-fixing and cartel-like practices seems to be invited and encouraged by the structure and particular characteristics of the Irish beef market; his further views that the Department's ignorance as to ultimate beneficial ownership of individual beef processing plants is an encouragement of price-fixing and cartel-like practices in the Irish beef market; his views on concerns that there is evidence of, or even a tradition of, price-fixing and cartel-like practices in the Irish beef market, to the detriment of both producers and primary producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39367/14]

Harbours and Piers Development

Maureen O'Sullivan

232. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the destruction of the pier at East End village, Inishbofin, County Galway, the focal point of an area of outstanding natural beauty on the Wild Atlantic Way; and if proposals have been brought to his attention for the replacement of the pier, the essential infrastructure around which the whole East End village has grown up since the pier’s construction in the 1870s and an attraction to the tens of thousands of visitors attracted to Inishbofin each year. [36988/14]

TB Eradication Scheme

Maureen O'Sullivan

10. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he is pursuing a badger cull when guarantees have been given about rolling out a vaccination programme for badgers infected with TB; the reason his Department is tendering for the provision of 25,000 units of biological material, which are essentially body bags for badgers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35173/14]

Beef Industry

Maureen O'Sullivan

105. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is satisfied as to the identity of the individual persons who enjoy ultimate beneficial ownership of each meat processing plant currently operating here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34913/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

539. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a dog pound (details supplied) in County Clare is killing dogs through intra-cardiac injection with no sedation given; if he will confirm that the practice is no longer being used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30855/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

601. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the five racehorses that died from injuries at Clonmel races this month, if he will strengthen regulations in the horse racing industry; if his Department will carry out its own investigation into the deaths of the five horses, despite the fact that the Turf Club cleared Clonmel racecourse of any wrongdoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29695/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

609. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason no sufficient advertising was carried out by his Department to announce the publication of the draft code of practice for the fur farming of mink; the reason no invitation was advertised for public consultation; the reason no date of publication was published on his Department's website including a deadline date for public submissions or an email address to send the public submissions; the reason no real consultative process was carried out with animal welfare groups inviting their formal submissions for the draft code of practice; if the current drafting of a code of practice for circuses is open to public consultation; where on the website this information is available; his views on extending the deadline for both submissions in view of the lack of sufficient public awareness of this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29927/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

610. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a camel escaping from a circus in Fermoy on the evening of 2 July, 2014; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is the second time a camel has escaped this year; his views that this is evidence of the inability of circuses to adapt to the nature and needs of wild animals; if he will consider a ban in view of the dangers posed to wild animals such as possible escape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29928/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

413. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the continuing campaign to stop Irish and European companies trading with China for angora wool products which involves the live plucking of the fur of an angora rabbit every three months over a four to five year period; if his attention has been drawn to companies here still buying angora wool from China; his views on introducing regulations for businesses trading in animal products with other countries in order to prevent the exploitation of animals in those countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26893/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

419. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if animal welfare groups were included in the consultation process undertaken by his Department and stakeholders on the use of animals in circuses; his plans regarding the publishing the draft code of practice for the use of animals in circuses; the way he will ensure a code of practice will be adequate in the protection of animals used in circuses; if he considered the concept of banning the use of animals in all circuses here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27010/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

27. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is committed to engaging in the outstanding issues he referred to at the Animal Health and Welfare Conference which took place on 16 May 2014 in Dublin Castle; if he is committed to re-engaging on the outstanding issues of hare coursing, digging out of foxes, badger culling, fur farming and the use of animals in circuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26098/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

538. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what was involved in the invitation process in the lead up to the Dublin Castle animal welfare conference held on 16 May 2014; the way his Department selected requests to attend; the reason hunting organisations were invited while other animal welfare groups were not invited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26096/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

539. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the latest incident which occurred in Tipperary town involving a pony being abandoned after it was driven into a heavy wooden fence while participating in a sulky race; if his attention has been drawn to the excessive speeds at which these ponies are driven often by children as young as ten years on Ireland's busy roads, and that the horses being too young end up enduring serious damage to their underdeveloped joints and ligaments during a race; if he is aware of the risks these races are placing on those animals, children and other road users; if he will prioritise this animal welfare and public health issue ensuring that local authorities carry out their obligations under the Control of Horses Act (1996); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26097/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

540. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure there are sufficient strict regulations that coursing will not take place in weather conditions that are adverse and difficult for the animals in question, hares and greyhounds; and if so that coursing events will be cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24286/14]

Bord na gCon Remit

Maureen O'Sullivan

3. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 90% of the Irish Coursing Club's funding is provided by dog registration fees; if he will propose a complete transfer of the function of greyhound registration from the ICC to Bord na gCon; if he will amend existing legislation governing the greyhound industry to include this transfer of powers; his views that the hard-pressed track racing industry would benefit greatly if Bord na gCon were to become a registering body for greyhounds here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20572/14]

Hare Coursing

Maureen O'Sullivan

170. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if testing for illegal substances was carried out at all the smaller hare coursing events leading up to the grand final at the national coursing meeting; if not, if he will extend drug testing to all greyhounds at all hare coursing events and consider carrying out testing for banned substances at hare coursing events; if his Department will conduct its own investigation into the incident of the six greyhounds that tested positive for banned substances at the national coursing meeting, separate from the internal Irish Coursing Club inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20578/14]

Animal Welfare

Maureen O'Sullivan

171. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the regulations as prescribed by his Department for dog training schools and for dog trainers themselves; the procedures in place for complaints of any abuse of animals made by trainers in these training schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20579/14]