1778. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to strengthen equine identification and traceability systems, including the enforcement of microchipping regulations, in order to improve animal welfare, prevent fraud and ensure compliance with EU standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46118/25]
Topics / Animal Welfare
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsAnimal Welfare
386 questions from 67 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
386
questions
382 written, 4 oral
67
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
8
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 8 |
| March 2025 | 15 |
| April 2025 | 34 |
| May 2025 | 4 |
| June 2025 | 8 |
| July 2025 | 12 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 18 |
| October 2025 | 22 |
| November 2025 | 35 |
| December 2025 | 4 |
| January 2026 | 12 |
| February 2026 | 42 |
| March 2026 | 17 |
| April 2026 | 47 |
| May 2026 | 41 |
| June 2026 | 19 |
| July 2026 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 13 |
| October 2026 | 27 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
-
49
-
37
-
34
-
24
-
22
-
17
-
15
-
14
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1779. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has undertaken or plans to undertake a review of the current legislation relating to carriage horses, with a view to ensuring that the highest standards of animal welfare, safety and regulation are being applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46119/25]
1791. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role of his Department to ensure that regulatory and animal welfare standards are adhered to in respect of horses exported from the State destined for horse abattoirs in other states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46511/25]
1842. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm that Ireland will support the European Parliament’s position to allow tail docking for diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic purposes when the matter of the Council of the EU’s position is being discussed ahead of upcoming trilogue negotiations on the European Commission’s proposal on the welfare of dogs and cats and th…
2222. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plans to ban or limit the practice of blood sports in Ireland such as hare coursing and fox hunting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43611/25]
457. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that it is now illegal to export live animals from the UK and the way in which this affects Irish livestock and horses; and if his Department is considering a ban. [40427/25]
154. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of animal welfare monitoring and oversight at Dublin Zoo; the independent inspections that have been conducted by the National Parks & Wildlife Service under the Zoo Directive during 2024 and 2025; what specific welfare issues, if any, were identified and what remedial actions have been mandated; how he …
124. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider appointing a national animal welfare director; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38000/25]
129. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of animal welfare offences committed, per county, in each of the various categories of offences, for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38319/25]
687. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who a person should contact regarding horses being held in poor conditions. [37709/25]
699. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm receipt of a complaint from an person (details supplied) in Dublin mid-west regarding the neglect of an animal; to confirm that an investigation will take place or if an investigation is underway; when an investigation will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37341/25]
715. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plans for an action plan to succeed the Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37659/25]
716. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who a person should contact regarding horses being held in poor conditions. [37708/25]
128. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding available for urban horse projects to help enhance awareness of animal health and welfare for participants and the wider nearby community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35134/25]
203. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address matters concerning the mysterious deaths of a large number of the farm animals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36593/25]
611. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the mistreatment of horses in County Clare (details supplied); the steps he is taking to ensure that those who are responsible for this cruelty are held accountable; to outline the legislation that is in place to protect animals when they are involved in events such as fairs; and if he will make a state…
650. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has any plans to appoint a national director of animal welfare. [31865/25]
450. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the results of his Department’s consultation on surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds will be made publicly available given that they were referenced in the September 2024 meeting minutes of the Advisory Council on Companion Animal Welfare (details supplied); and when the ban on surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds…
458. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the work of the Dog Control Stakeholder Group as the Group announced an intention to produce an interim report in Q1 2025 before producing a final report in Q4 2025. [31658/25]
461. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of calls or reports to the dedicated e-mail address and helpline in place for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare (details supplied). [31661/25]
1102. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if intensive agriculture and larger herd sizes have increased TB rates in cattle, the measures he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29397/25]
1109. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will increase the rebate paid to local authorities for horse welfare and impounding instances given the current cost far outweighs the rebate paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29551/25]
1115. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm that charges under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and the Control of Horses Act 1996 will be pursued against those responsible for the abuses found to have occurred at Shannonside Foods in County Kildare. [29784/25]
1123. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the Deer Management Strategy and the establishment of local deer management units; if the locations of each of these units has yet been finalised; if a unit will be located in the north Tipperary area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30091/25]
491. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of export licences for dogs granted by his Department for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, by country of destination, in tabular form. [28569/25]