Animal Welfare

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 July 2018

Wednesday, 11 July 2018

Ceisteanna (445)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

445. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 494 of 30 January 2018 and 1000 of 12 June 2018, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that farmed mink do not have access to bathing water and that as semi-aquatic mammals mink require access to water to regulate their body temperatures in warm weather; if he will arrange for veterinary inspections to be carried out in mink farms to assess and ensure the health of the animals during the recent unprecedented warm weather; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31387/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department has statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of farmed animals under the European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations, 2010(Statutory Instrument No 311/2010) and the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.  Irish fur farmers are subject to the same animal welfare legislation as any other livestock farmer. 

There has been an unannounced inspection carried out this summer on one of the three Irish  mink farms and no issues were raised. My Department will continue to carry out inspections both planned and unplanned on the facilities in question as appropriate.