Under the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966, section 54, Appointed Day and Exemptions Order, 1967 (S.I. No 217 of 1967), it is an offence, subject to a number of exemptions, to sell, offer or expose for sale or export any horned cattle to which the Order applies. My Department will continue to advise livestock mart managers of the statutory position in relation to horned cattle. Officers of the Department regularly monitor mart sales and points of export to ensure compliance with the Order. The Department has issued a poster on dehorning for display at livestock marts.
I am occasionally in receipt of representations on various aspects of the operation of the Order. I take the view that horns on cattle are a serious issue from the perspective of animal welfare and stock management. They can also be a source of danger to farmers and their families. The Departmental advice is that all calves should be dehorned before they are one week old, if possible, as treatment is least problematic at this stage. It is, however, permissible to dehorn calves without an anaesthetic up to 14 days. Preparations are available which enable producers to dehorn effectively and humanely. Access to such preparations must be in conformity with the Animal Remedies Regulations, 1996 (S.I. No. 179 of 1996).
Under the Protection of Animals Acts, 1911 and 1965, which are implemented by the Garda Síochána, it is illegal to dehorn, by any method, any calf over 14 days old without the use of an anaesthetic so administered as to prevent any pain during the operation. Failure to comply with this prohibition attracts the provisions of section 1(1) of the 1911 Act. The Deputy will wish to be aware that the Control of Horses Act, 1996, was availed of to effect a major recasting of the penalties under section 1 (1) to include conviction on indictment in the case of offences of cruelty. Section 1(1) now provides for maximum penalties for cruelty to animals as follows: on summary conviction, a fine of £1,500 and-or six months imprisonment; on conviction on indictment, a fine of £10,000 and-or two years imprisonment. Any instance of cruelty to animals arising from improper dehorning practices should be reported to the gardaí for prosecution.
