Animal Welfare
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-25
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Martin Heydon (FG), Kildare South

I thank the Deputy for his dedication to this topic. He has raised it on more than one occasion. I absolutely agree that this issue merits attention. From my perspective, there is no shortage of resources being put in from my side. I take on board the Deputy's points about co-ordination. I am happy to work with other stakeholders - the Deputy mentioned An Garda Síochána, the county council and the different entities - to ensure we have a targeted response in key areas.
I agree that there are as many people who are passionate about their horses in urban areas as there are in rural areas and they care for them greatly. However, in normal, everyday society, we need to have a clear understanding of what is acceptable activity and what is unacceptable activity in our urban areas, where many people live and share common spaces, and beyond. More important than that, and the legislation is clearly set down and comes under my Department, is the welfare of animals. We have lead responsibility for that issue. I take animal welfare seriously and committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are rigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner. It can sometimes be about the need for additional measures to be legislated for in this House. It is sometimes about the implementation of legislation that exists. With the local authorities, the other relevant authorities and the Garda, there is a key role to play.
My Department keeps animal welfare legislation under review with respect to the developments in the area of animal welfare and the practical lessons learned from operating the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department also operates a confidential animal welfare helpline, through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation. We work with all the relevant stakeholders in that regard. I thank the Deputy for raising these points.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:47+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-25