Questions

597. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the written scientific criteria applied by his Department in determining when detection of Salmonella Typhimurium in an environmental sample at a duck premises is sufficient to conclude for enforcement purposes that animals or animal products may be affected; when direct faecal, cloacal, egg or other confirmatory testing is requir…

598. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Departmental correspondence of 13 March 2024 stating that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland had been made aware of the proposed movement of birds from a Salmonella-restricted premises, the dates on which the FSAI was notified of the case; the information supplied to it; and whether advice, observations or recommendat…

599. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the grade and professional qualification of the authorised officer who made the statutory determination underlying the Section 42 Animal Health and Welfare Act notice issued on 15 March 2024 in respect of a poultry premises in County Wicklow; whether a written veterinary, scientific or risk assessment was prepared before that dete…

600. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reasonable cause for an authorised officer (details supplied) to form the opinion that an animal or animal product was or may have been affected with Salmonella Typhimurium for the purposes of the Section 42 notice issued on 15 March 2024; whether direct sampling of the birds was undertaken; and if not, the reason. [71741/26]

131. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of veterinary inspections carried out in 2025 specifically to observe poultry catching and loading (details supplied); if he is unable to provide this data, his reason for the lack of information, given that catching and loading is a particularly stressful event for hens; and the reason data on the effectiveness of stunnin…

378. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the names of the ten largest egg production operations here; the number of birds that went through the system in each of the top five, in 2025; the number of mortalities in each of the top five producers in 2025; the reasons for these mortalities; the average age of the birds when they expired; the frequency of vis…

379. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 720 of 16 June 2026, if he will clarify if any birds on Irish egg producer operations, be they enriched, barn or free range, have their beaks trimmed; if so, to provide accurate statistics on the number of birds whose beaks were trimmed in 2025; the breakdown for enriched, barn and free range; an…

380. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of day-old female chicks that were imported into Ireland in 2025; the countries from which these day-old chicks were imported; the breakdown in numbers for each country; the way in which the chicks were packed for transport; the method and duration of transport from the overseas hatchery to the egg producer; and if he will…

787. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the current poultry housing restrictions introduced in response to avian influenza; the criteria his Department is using to determine when these restrictions may be reviewed or lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22468/26]

1427. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current guidelines for poultry farming in Ireland in light of the number of farmers directly and indirectly affected by avian influenza; and whether further measures or supports are being considered. [18877/26]

402. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 731 of 14 October 2025, the date he began to prepare a tender to procure the services of a firm with specialised knowledge of the poultry industry to compile poultry valuation tables to assist with calculating compensation rates; when he expects to receive same; and if he will make a statement on the …

491. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current strength of the poultry sector; how the situation in relation to export stands; if he has concerns about the volume of poultry products being imported into the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53407/25]