The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Deputy Browne, is most welcome to the House. The first Commencement matter is by Senator Crowe who has four minutes.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Sentencing Policy
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, for coming to the Chamber this morning. Before I commence, I acknowledge that this an issue on which my colleague, Senator Gallagher, has been working for some time in seeking to progress with the Criminal Justice (Public Order) (Amendment) Bill 2019.
To give a bit of context, I raise this Commencement matter following recent attacks on gardaí, of which the Minister of State is well aware, most notably in Ballyfermot last weekend. I do so also in the context of previous attacks going unpunished even when the perpetrators are caught, prosecuted and found guilty. Suspended sentences have frequently been handed down by the courts for such attacks, with this again happening in a case which involved a severe attack on a garda some weeks ago, where perpetrators again walked free having been found guilty. It should also be noted that this is not limited to members of An Garda Síochána. There have been 41 cases of direct physical assault on staff working in ambulance services around the country during 2020 and 2021. As that period covered the pandemic, this figure is lower than it might be in a normal two-year span. I also want to raise the issue in relation to accident and emergency departments, and particularly the accident and emergency department in Galway University Hospital where emergency staff, nurses and doctors have huge issues. There have certainly been instances of this there as well.
Moving on to firefighters, they have also come under attack. Last month, the chief fire officer for Clare outlined that over a two-week period, they had attended more than a dozen calls in one area and, in the majority of cases, colleagues had been attacked.
These people are our first responders and they risk their health and well-being every day when they go out to work. They are being attacked far too often and rarely, if ever, are appropriate sentences handed down to those who carry out such attacks. Members of the general public are really concerned about this. Whether it is sons, daughters, wives or husbands who go out to work, the Government needs to send out the message that this is totally unacceptable.
There is no deterrent to thugs carrying out such attacks. Even if they are successfully prosecuted, more likely than not they will walk out of court on the same day as the trial. As the Minister of State knows, that is what frustrates the public. Both from talking to gardaí myself and from comments made by the Garda Representative Association, it is clear that this issue is increasingly frustrating gardaí, as well it should. It is frustrating those of us who are merely reading about it let alone those witnessing attacks on colleagues which effectively go unpunished.
I also have huge concern given that a number of people in Galway city, in my own area, in their 20s served in the Garda for two or three years but then left the force. It is something we have to be very mindful of. This must change and a clear message must be sent out by Government that attackers of first responders will serve significant time in jail. The Garda Representative Association has called for the introduction of mandatory minimum sentencing to tackle this scourge before it gets out of control altogether. I put my support on the record this morning for this proposal. Other jurisdictions have already taken this necessary step, including Australia where the minimum sentence for anyone convicted of assaulting an emergency working is seven years with a maximum sentence of 15 years for more serious assaults. In the UK, there is a minimum sentence of two years for anyone convicted of assaulting an emergency worker. It is time Ireland also took the necessary measures.
It is time that those who carry out these sickening attacks on our emergency service workers face punishments which reflect the seriousness of their offences. I urge Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, to begin working on this immediately and consult with the appropriate stakeholders and organisations and so on, with a view to having this implemented in 2023.
On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, who cannot be here today, I thank Senator Crowe for raising this very important matter around the sentencing for those found guilty of attacks on emergency service workers. I echo the Minister's and the Deputy's unequivocal condemnation of the attack on two members of An Gardaí Síochána in Ballyfermot on Monday of this week. Attacks like these on our valued emergency service workers are simply unacceptable and are not only deeply traumatic for the Garda members concerned but also cause serious damage to the communities which our emergency services work to protect. I convey my best wishes to both gardaí who were injured and to their colleagues and family members. I wish them both a speedy and full recovery. I am aware a number of individuals were arrested in relation to this serious incident and that two individuals have been charged. The Senator will appreciate it is not appropriate for me, as a Minister of State at the Department of Justice, to comment on a Garda investigation that is under way into the particular incident.
I reiterate the Garda public appeal for any information about this incident. Anyone who has witnessed the incident or possesses video footage of the incident should contact the Ballyfermot Garda Station at 01 6667200, the Garda confidential line at 1800 666111, or any Garda station.
It is vital that emergency service workers are sufficiently protected in carrying out their work and that the law reflects and responds to the situations in which they find themselves. I assure the Senator a range of robust legislative provisions are available to the Garda authorities in circumstances where threats or assaults are made against gardaí. Such offences carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison under section 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. I note that this penalty was increased from a maximum of five years in prison in 2006. The 1994 Act also provides for an offence of violent disorder which may be committed depending on the circumstances and carries a maximum penalty under the 1994 Act of ten years in prison.
Persons committing such offences may also be liable to prosecution for assault causing harm or causing serious harm under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The maximum penalty for assault causing harm is a sentence of five years in prison. The maximum penalty for causing serious harm is up to life imprisonment. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has included a provision in the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 to double the maximum sentence for assault causing harm from five years to ten years. The Minister welcomes the recent approval of this proposal on the Committee Stage debate on the Bill. These provisions are subject to ongoing review and the Government will not hesitate in taking further appropriate actions to protect gardaí and other emergency service workers.
The Senator will be aware that the Department of Justice recently published the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 which will provide for the first time a legal basis for the deployment and use of body-worn cameras by members of An Garda Síochána. Body-worn cameras will support front-line capability by accurately recording incidents, like the serious incident that occurred this week at Ballyfermot. The ultimate deployment of these devices, including related timelines, will be an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner, however, I am advised that the Commissioner intends to pilot the use of body worn cameras, prior to nationwide roll-out.
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. Maximum sentences are fine but what we need minimum sentences also. All I can talk about is Galway city. What is frustrating people in Galway city and county is the large percentage of cases where someone found guilty serves no time at all. Even though they have been found guilty, they are walking out the door and that is outraging people. It is outraging families across the city and across the county. Maximum sentences do not really matter if they are not being handed down and that rarely seems to happen. If we had minimum sentences, the people who carry out these atrocious crimes could not walk out of court without serving time.
I again thank the Senator for raising this very important matter in the House today. He will appreciate that the Judiciary is independent in the matter of sentencing subject only to the Constitution and the law. An important safeguard rests in the power of the Director of Public Prosecutions to apply to the Court of Appeal to review any sentence which she feels is unduly lenient. However, it is a matter for the Government and the Oireachtas to propose and enact legislation setting out maximum sentences which a court may impose for a particular crime. In a number of cases the Oireachtas has prescribed a presumptive minimum sentence for certain serious offences.
This is currently being reviewed under a requirement contained in the Judicial Council Act 2019. In imposing a sentence, a court is required to impose a sentence which is proportionate not only to the crime but also to the offender based on the facts of each individual case. As provided for in the Judicial Council Act, a new sentencing guidelines committee has been established by the Judicial Council and includes a number of lay members. The committee is responsible for compiling sentencing guidelines with a view to establishing parameters and norms to help give a judge guidance while sentencing. Practically the courts are also required to hear from victims in certain cases where they wish to make a victim impact statement.
Education and Training Boards
I welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the House.
I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter for debate this morning. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the Chamber. As he will know, Galway Technical Institute's current provision is inadequate and would present challenges for any redevelopment it would need, including an underground car park. It has outgrown its current buildings and requires major refurbishment along with additional teacher spaces. It currently has rental accommodation and a number of dilapidated prefabricated classrooms on site which are no longer fit for purpose. The site is also an irregular shape and would require decamping for the duration of any construction work.
The proposal by Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board, GRETB, is to build a new state-of-the-art further education and training campus of approximately 20,000 m2. The proposed site would be on the grounds of the Galway Community College which would be 3 ha of land exiting onto the Tuam Road. An aerial shot of Galway will show a campus with plenty of space and room for further expansion. The rationale behind the new building is that it would provide a modern future-proofed building located on a site with capacity for further expansion. It would highlight and reflect the high level of education and training provided by GTI and GRETB. It would facilitate world-class technical and further education and training programmes which would ensure that learners would meet their full potential. It would have a flexible design approach to meet future demand and changing requirements.
As the Minister knows, the GTI's current programme includes art and design; arts; health and social care; business and law; fashion; hairdressing and beauty; IT and computing; media; sport; technology design and engineering. The new college would facilitate the consolidation of current GRETB post-leaving cert, PLC, courses and increase places for all current programmes being offered. It would provide further links with third level colleges. It would involve the creation of additional traineeships and over 2,000 apprenticeships and programmes in areas such as culinary arts, agriculture and horticulture. It would allow courses to be developed for the green economy, which is obviously a growing area, including: green procurement; heat pump technology; photovoltaic, PV, cells; energy management; heat recovery; and ventilation systems. It would enable the development of an elite football professional development course, the addition of animation programmes, development of the Erasmus+ programme and innovation hubs.
I think the Minister will agree this is an exciting proposition for further and higher education in Galway. I hope that the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science will be able to support the application. The GRETB has an application with the Department for a further education and training, FET, college of the future. It has submitted the funding request for construction of this new FET college of the future as part of the SOLAS and Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science capital application process, which I know is now with the Department.
Tá sé beartaithe ag an mBord Oideachais agus Oiliúna na Gaillimhe agus Ros Comáin campas nua breisoideachais agus oiliúna den chineál is nua-aimsearthaí a thógáil ar iarthar láthair Choláiste Pobail na Gaillimhe i gcathair na Gaillimhe. Tá iarratas ar maoiniú curtha isteach ag Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna na Gaillimhe agus Ros Comáin chun an choláiste nua breisoideachais agus oiliúna don todhchaí a thógáil. Tá an t-iarratas sin leis an Roinn.
This is an exciting proposal for Galway city and county. We know the valuable work that the Galway Technical Institute does in providing those options for people outside the traditional third level approach. Sometimes it is a gateway to third level but more often it leads to a career in areas where people are badly needed. The existing facilities are not fit for purpose. This is an exciting proposal for a development within the heart of the city. In conjunction with the existing campus, it would allow for further expansion. It is proximate to the Atlantic Technological University and the University of Galway. I believe the project is worthy of investment and I ask the Minister to support it.
I thank my colleague, Senator Kyne, for raising this important matter in respect of GRETB's plans for a new and enlarged further education and training campus in Galway city. I echo the Senator's views. This is an extremely exciting proposition because I understand what GRETB wants to do is to build a brand new college of further education, what we call a further education and training, FET, college of the future. This will enable capacity in further education in Galway to be increased by approximately 40% and, as the Senator has rightly said, will also enable a very significant increase in apprenticeship spaces, which is something we are really putting a focus on. Most excitingly, it will enable very good links to be established between the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, further education and training in Galway and what we now call the University of Galway because the site that has been chosen in Mervue is adjacent to the ATU and in very close proximity to the University of Galway. I also take the opportunity today to recognise the pivotal role that GRETB plays in the provision of further education and training right across the western region. It is the second largest ETB in the country and catered for 10,295 learners in 2021.
As the Senator alluded to, earlier this year, I announced our most ambitious new phase of capital investment in our further education sector ever. We intend to spend very serious amounts of public money to put in place the infrastructure for further education and training right across our country. This key investment will support projects that drive reform of the further education and training sector and increase capacity. The establishment of centres of excellence will also be a focus, as will the creation of a unified third level education sector in which FET and higher education work together.
As Senator Kyne rightly said, GRETB submitted an application under the FET college of the future funding programme for the establishment of a new FET college of the future on a site it owns in Galway city. The proposal submitted by GRETB has now been assessed alongside other proposals from the sector to determine which projects will proceed to the next phase of development. The assessment process for this programme consists of two phases. The first phase was led by SOLAS and has been completed. Proposals that have been successful at the first stage will hear news in the coming days. Those proposals will then be assessed in greater depth but, crucially, will be supported by my own Department and SOLAS to ensure they comply with the public spending code.
Any investment made will support an ambitious transformation agenda, realising the full potential of the sector and ensuring that the further education and training sector is no longer the poor relation or Cinderella when it comes to investment in third level education. I am not in a position to make an announcement today but I am in a position to confirm that I will be in Galway with Senator Kyne next week, when an update on this project will be provided and an announcement as to its status will be made. This is a really exciting project for Galway, for the western region and for the creation of a unified tertiary education system.
In 2021, my Department provided funding to GRETB to acquire a building adjacent to its current training centre and FET headquarters in Galway. The development of this new facility will also provide a range of new craft workshops to deliver more full-time and part-time further education programmes in the future. The investment we made last year will lead to an increase in training capacity from approximately 216 apprentices per year to over 400 apprentices per year, with the potential to increase to over 600 apprentices. We are making big investments in Galway already. As can be seen, the number of apprentices continues to increase. I hope my favourable comments this morning provide some reassurance to the Senator of the significance of this application and my level of excitement about it. I will be in Galway with him next week to visit the ETB and I will provide an update at that stage.
I thank the Minister for those reassuring words. I compliment him on his work and his support for the very important further education sector with regard to its capital plans. It is important that we have quality learning and quality teaching, as well as quality structures for students and staff alike. I welcome the Minister's announcement of a visit to Galway next week, when we will see facilities and discuss plans with the board and chair of GRETB and with the staff.
This is a very exciting proposal and I am reassured by the Minister's comments and commitments. A positive decision will certainly be very well received in Galway. As I have said, it is an excellent proposal. The site is very suitably located. There is demand in the area and this would provide important choices for school leavers. I look forward to what I hope will be a positive decision and announcement in the coming days.
I look forward to visiting Galway with the Senator next week. I should also acknowledge, as I know the Senator would, the work of Councillor Michael Mogie Maher, who now chairs GRETB and who is enthusiastic about these levels of investment. It is an exciting time for further education and training around the country. We have moved from a situation in which further education and training colleges were applying for money to fix leaky roofs or broken toilets to one in which there is investment at a scale that allows us to progress really transformational projects and move what we know to be an excellent education sector out of old, dilapidated buildings and into modern fit-for-purpose facilities. I compliment and thank everyone in GRETB for the great amount of work they put into this application.
It is also a particularly exciting time for Galway from a third level education point of view. There is the traditional university, now known as the University of Galway. Some great work is being done there and a very significant amount of student accommodation is coming on stream, which I really welcome. I want to work with the university to develop even more. There is also the technological university, the ATU. If this project progresses, there will also be a state-of-the-art further education sector, really knitting together all aspects of third level education in the city and county of Galway. I very much look forward to being with the Senator next week and to trying to make progress on this.
Before we continue to our next speaker, I welcome visitors from Our Lady's College, Greenhills. It is great to see visitors back in the Chamber. We hope that the Minister will be part of their future in setting the parameters and putting funding in place for higher education.
Coast Guard Service
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I thank the Minister for taking this issue on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. While I appreciate that the Office of Public Works, OPW, is not his direct area of responsibility, this matter relates to the Coast Guard in Courtown, an area of the world the Minister is very familiar with. He will know that the Coast Guard in Courtown does not just service the north Wexford area, but also Arklow and much of south Wicklow. I join in the congratulations to the Coast Guard, which is marking its bicentenary. There is a new Coast Guard station in Greystones. I hope that we will now finally see some progress on the station in Courtown.
Although I have raised this issue a number of times in the Seanad, I last raised it as a Commencement matter on 24 February. The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, took the matter at that time. The station is one of the old rocket house-type stations. Some 22 crew, male and female, operate from it. It is a single-room operation with no toilet. There are common changing facilities for male and female Coast Guard operators. In answering at the time, the Minister of State acknowledged that it was very clear that there were health and safety concerns in respect of this Coast Guard station and that it was not suitable in the modern environment. She said that the OPW had carried out some preliminary work in identifying sites and that this was a priority facility. She was very clear that its development was a priority. During the summer, the Minister of State visited this facility and fully accepted the need for and importance of progress on this matter.
Six sites were originally identified, although they were not necessarily deemed suitable. Wexford County Council worked with the Coast Guard and the OPW to identify potential sites and a site was very clearly identified. The owners of the site were happy to look at putting it up for sale but there does not seem to have been any progress. I hope the Minister will be able to provide us with a report on progress since I asked this question in February and since the Minister of State's visit, when we were told that this was a priority for the OPW and that it had been carrying out work. I know this is something Government is committed to. We have provided significant funding for the development of our Coast Guard stations. However, for some reason, the OPW does not seem to be prioritising the facility at Courtown. I hope the Minister will be able to give me some positive news today.
I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter. I hope he will excuse me for taking it in the unavoidable absence of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. However, I am particularly pleased to take it because, as the Senator has rightly pointed out, it is a part of the world I know well and the station serves a part of the world I represent in Dáil Éireann. I am therefore pleased to have an opportunity to provide a further update on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan.
As Senator Malcolm Byrne rightly says, this is an issue he has rightly raised on many occasions. He raised it formally in the House with the Minister of State at the Department of Transport earlier this year.
The Irish Coast Guard, a division of the Department of Transport, has 44 units based in 58 Coast Guard stations across the country. The Coast Guard building programme, which includes the provision of new or upgraded facilities at a number of locations across the country, is managed by the OPW on behalf of the Department of Transport, from planning and design to build and ongoing maintenance. The projects are funded by the Department of Transport, but the OPW provides advice and assistance on the design of such projects, site feasibility studies, acquisition of sites from the local authority or others, planning and detailed design, and manages the delivery in line with the requirements of the Department of Transport and Coast Guard service.
New accommodation for the Courtown Coast Guard unit is included as one of the key priorities on this delivery programme. As the Senator rightly indicated, it is recognised by all - including by the Government from the point of view of funding - that this is a priority matter that must be addressed. Courtown Coast Guard station is a single-room limestone building originally designed for the storage of rescue equipment. As the Senator Byrne, it is situated at a busy intersection of three roads and has no available off-road area for parking. The OPW has carried out some minor remedial works to the building in the past in order to provide dry storage and office space, and to address essential health and safety issues. The building works alleviated some of the problems, but the view of the Government and the OPW is that use of the facility in its current form is unsustainable. As the current site is only slightly larger than the building footprint and is bordered to the rear by a steep river gully, there is very limited capacity to provide for any expansion or upgraded facility.
I assure the Senator that since this matter was last raised the OPW has continued to liaise intensively with the Irish Coast Guard to progress a proposed new location for the Coast Guard station at Courtown. I have been informed that a detailed business case and brief of requirements for a site has been submitted to the OPW by the Coast Guard. As the Senator outlined, a meeting and site visits took place in Courtown in July to view potential sites, visit current facilities, meet with the local Coast Guard officials and volunteers and ensure there was a full understanding of the exact requirements for the new facility across the various players and actors involved.
As outlined previously, a number of potential sites in the ownership of the local authority had been put forward by the Coast Guard, however these sites are now no longer available. The OPW is investigating all potential options and in particular any State owned or similarly vested lands in the area that may meet requirements. Officials from the OPW are currently completing a formal site identification process, including required appraisals, to ensure the acquisition process is completed in line with the public spending code, PSC, and all options, including those identified by the Irish Coast Guard, will be assessed. Once a suitable site is identified, negotiations will progress without delay on the acquisition of the site and moving the project forward.
While I understand that the Senator would, on behalf of the people he represents, want to know the commencement date for the start of the construction, which is what everyone wants to know, I am not in a position to provide the information today but I assure him that the OPW officials are giving this project every priority possible at this time. They are working very closely with colleagues in the Department of Transport to deliver on the Coast Guard programme. The OPW has asked me to assure the Senator that he will be directly updated as soon as significant progress is made on the site acquisition.
I thank the Minister. Unfortunately, we seem to have progressed at a glacial pace on this issue. I am concerned about it because the council had identified potential sites and it was not going to leave them sitting around. Potential private sites were also identified. The money has been provided for the purchase of a site. The Coast Guard is very keen that the acquisition would progress. The Minister is aware of the vital work the Coast Guard does in coastal communities. I am disappointed because the situation has not moved on to any great extent since I raised it as a Commencement matter in February and by other means. I suggest that a meeting might be arranged between the OPW, the Coast Guard and Wexford County Council. I am happy to facilitate such a meeting. I ask the Minister to communicate that to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. If we could arrange for that to happen as soon as possible, preferably before Christmas, so that we can have clear details on a site and when construction might finally begin.
I thank the Senator. That sounds like a very reasonable suggestion. I will convey it to the Minister of State and his officials in the OPW to see if they can link with him on when such a meeting could be arranged.
I echo the Senator's comments about the vital work being carried out by the Coast Guard. It is only right and proper that the Government supports it in its vital work by providing it with facilities that are fit for purpose. We are all very clear that the current facilities in Courtown are not fit for purpose. The situation is not sustainable. While all remedial works possible have been carried out there is a need for a new site and a purpose-built facility. I appreciate that the situation is frustrating from the Senator's point of view in that the Government is committed to the project from the point of view of capital funding. This is not a funding issue; it is a matter of finding a site and securing it as quickly as possible. I hear the Senator's frustration. I will take the matter back to the Minister of State and the OPW and ask that they arrange a meeting with him.
Animal Diseases
It is good to have the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine here. I sought this debate to get an update on the unfortunate situation with avian flu. I acknowledge the importance of having the senior Minister before us this morning. Since I tabled this matter, there has been a further escalation in that a second flock in the north of the country has been infected. That is unfortunate.
I have a little bit of knowledge when it comes to poultry because many years ago we had a lot of turkeys at home. Avian flu is an issue people are always concerned about. This flu first came into the country in the mid-1990s. It mainly affects wild birds but it can cross-contaminate poultry flocks. That is a significant issue for the community, in particular in the northern half of the country where we have so many poultry units. This is the second outbreak that has necessitated the putting in place of restrictions.
In many ways, the Minister's response could be very interesting. How severe is the outbreak that was identified in the past 24 hours? Some 3,800 turkeys were destroyed on foot of the previous outbreak. What is the estimate for the current outbreak? Will a similar number of birds be affected? It is an unusual time of the year in that poultry units are virtually at full capacity. The units will be cleaned out in the coming days and weeks in the run-up to Christmas. They are currently at maximum capacity and corresponding value so compensation will arise for the communities affected.
I seek clarification today from the Minister on a few issues. The first is the implication for Northern Ireland. Many units are located north of the Border. We are one entity across this island when it comes to animal health. The Minister might indicate the position in regard to making sure that we are all working together on the issue on a cross-Border basis.
Could the Minister give his view on the spread of the disease? This is the second flock that has been contaminated. The previous flock of 3,800 birds had to be destroyed. A new restriction zone was put in place yesterday due to the disease being identified in a new flock. What work is happening in the area within the restriction zone? Could the Minister outline how many flocks are currently restricted?
Another issue that arises relates to smaller flocks, which is a dynamic that has materialised in particular in the past eight to nine years. Many of us might have four or five broiler hens in particular in the back garden. How are they going to be affected by the issue? Are we putting restrictions on them and are they to be locked up as well? I refer to cases where people have four or five hens rather than big commercial flocks. How are they going to be affected by the new restrictions being put in place?
Given the Christmas trade, we could not pick a worse time of year to have avian flu affecting large commercial turkey flocks in particular. Does the Minister have concerns about the production and slaughter of these birds in the next ten to 12 days? Does he fear that more issues will arise in terms of outbreaks of avian flu? This is akin to the outbreak in Newcastle in the United Kingdom some years ago. Although the issue is slightly different, the potential for damage to the flocks and the industry is significant. It is very important to have the senior Minister here before us because timing is everything in politics. When I tabled this matter last week, there was no indication that a second flock would be contaminated. Could the Minister provide an update on the second flock?
I thank Senator Lombard for raising this issue, which is obviously a very important one to our poultry sector nationally.
My Department is taking the threat of avian influenza H5N1 extremely seriously, as would be expected, and is working directly and diligently to protect the integrity of the sector and our poultry farmers. We are acting proactively to protect the industry.
My Department yesterday confirmed, as Senator Lombard pointed out, highly pathogenic avian influenza in samples from a second turkey flock in Monaghan. Avian influenza restriction zones have been established around both premises. Movement of poultry or poultry products within and through the zones is permitted only under licence and in compliance with strict conditions. The second case is quite close to the first so it makes limited difference to the 10 km and 3 km zones. Poultry keepers with flocks located within the restriction zones are legally obliged to comply with all zone requirements.
As Senator Lombard will be aware, Ireland is currently in the high-risk period, which runs from October to April, for the introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza as a result mainly of the migration of wild birds returning to overwinter here from areas where the disease is widespread. These migratory patterns, coupled with lower temperatures and shorter daylight hours, which allow the virus to exist for longer in the environment, represent a higher risk of spread to our poultry flocks at this time of year.
This year and last a strain of the virus that is very contagious to birds, namely H5N1, has been in circulation across Europe. The outbreaks in the turkey flocks in Monaghan follow two recent outbreaks of the disease in small captive bird flocks in Dublin and Wicklow. In addition, there has been substantial evidence of the disease in our wild seabird population around the coast since July. As mentioned, highly pathogenic avian influenza is very contagious to birds. I take this opportunity to urge all poultry owners and keepers of captive birds to maintain stringent biosecurity measures to protect their flocks. The risk of incursion of highly infectious and economically damaging diseases such as this can be reduced through the practice of effective biosecurity measures at farm level. Strictly adhering to biosecurity measures will help prevent disease, whether exotic to or endemic in Ireland, from entering and spreading within farms.
I introduced statutory biosecurity regulations on 19 September as a precautionary measure to ensure that best practice is adopted by all keepers of poultry and captive birds. In addition, a confinement order for poultry and captive birds came into effect on 7 November, requiring flock keepers to confine all poultry and captive birds in their possession or under their control in secure buildings to which wild birds or other animals do not have access. It is important to note that housing is a support, not an alternative, to biosecurity.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has confirmed that, although the H5N1 subtype can cause serious disease in poultry and other birds, the risk to humans is very low. However, members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead birds and to keep their dogs on leashes in areas where any such birds are present. Anyone travelling from an area known or suspected to be affected with avian influenza or where wild birds have been found dead is advised not to come into contact with poultry or captive birds without prior cleaning and disinfection of clothing and footwear. It is important to note that there is no evidence of risk associated with consumption of poultry meat, poultry meat products or eggs. Properly cooked poultry products are safe to eat.
I reinforce again the need for vigilance and biosecurity. My Department closely monitors and assesses the disease situation and continues to be in regular contact with stakeholders. We all must work to keep biosecurity at the front of everything we do in order to reduce the spread of this disease and to protect our world-class poultry sector.
Before you come back in, Senator Lombard, I wish to welcome visitors from Our Lady of Mercy College, Booterstown. It is lovely to see young students able to come into the House again. They are all very welcome.
I wish to be associated with those words.
I thank the Minister for his comprehensive statement. I wish to home in on just two points. One is small flock keepers' awareness that they need to restrict their flocks. I know many families that might have four or five hens in the back garden. Is there a register of that information? Is there communication happening in order that such families are made aware that they should be restricting the movements of those small flocks?
The other issue relates to the time of the year. If one were to pick an inappropriate time of the year to have a breakdown like this, it would be this time of the year, with turkey units at full capacity. Is the Minister fearful about the turkey trade, given the stage of the cycle we are in, weeks away from processing these large numbers of turkeys running into Christmas? Some 3,800 turkeys were destroyed in the previous outbreak. I have no idea how many are involved in the current one. The Minister might inform the House if he has those details. Is he fearful about where we are in the timeline in respect of the turkey industry?
Anyone with captive birds should ensure that they are housed and that every possible biosecurity measure is in place to protect the birds because, obviously, the risk is high at the moment. The disease is in the wild bird population and is highly pathogenic and highly infectious, so every step must be taken. That is why I put the housing order in place.
The run-up to Christmas is obviously an important time of year for the turkey trade. With the measures we have in place, I am very confident there will be no supply issue. It is very unfortunate that we have seen two turkey farms affected so far. Both had approximately 4,000 turkeys, so the numbers are very small in the context of our national numbers. Some 2 million families will soon be serving Christmas dinner around the country. Obviously, however, these outbreaks are significant for the two farms concerned. Last year we had six cases in commercial flocks over the course of the season and there were six cases in Northern Ireland last year as well, so it is certainly possible we could see more cases. This disease is highly infectious. That is why we have put in place the most secure measures possible and advice to farmers as to how to keep their flocks safe. However, the risk remains, as we have seen this week, with a second flock now infected. It is therefore crucial that, over the coming period, everyone takes every possible step. The risk will remain but, working together, we will ensure there is no wider issue for the sector and no impact on the availability of turkeys for Christmas.
I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It is a challenging time for the farmers concerned. Where there is depopulation involved, compensation is available for the farmer concerned. Obviously, that does not take away the enormous strain, stress and loss for the affected farmers, but there is a compensation scheme in place for them.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.18 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.35 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.18 a.m. and resumed at 11.35 a.m.