Vol. 507 No. 4
20 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps, if any, being taken by his Department to ensure that the conditions for laying hens, including cage size, are in line with standards set out by the EU Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16928/99]
The current EU rules for the protection of laying hens are set out in council directive 88/166/EEC, which my Department transposed into national law by way of the Care and Welfare of Poultry (Laying Hens) Regulations 1990 (S. I. No. 238 of 1990). These regulations set out the specifications of battery cages and include a recommended code of practice for the care and welfare of laying hens in battery and other intensive systems. The regulations set out requirements for cage area per bird, feed troughs, cage height and floors. They will remain in force until 1 January 2003 when new rules recently agreed by the Council of Ministers will apply throughout the European Union. The new rules will be transposed into national law in due course.
