825. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plans his Department has to address the ongoing issue of urban horses and associated animal welfare and public safety concerns; whether a coordinated multi-agency approach involving local authorities, An Garda Síochána and relevant Departments is being progressed; and whether his Department intends to take the lead role in this work, …
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.
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49
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37
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34
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24
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22
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17
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15
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14
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
827. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine If he will address the serious animal welfare concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14641/26]
836. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to prevent the importation of pests such as the Tropilaelaps mite (described by experts as potentially more destructive than Varroa) and other invasive species including the Small Hive Beetle and the Asian Hornet; if his Department will commit to mandatory physical inspection of all honey bee consignments enterin…
477. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 486 of 12 February 2026, if he will engage with an organisation and other animal welfare charities in relation to a specific case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13714/26]
478. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 486 of 12 February 2026, the actions he will take to address the specific situation in relation to a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13715/26]
479. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 486 of 12 February 2026, the actions he is taking to prevent sulky racing before it becomes a matter of road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13716/26]
480. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding inspections related to the welfare of horses forced to participate in sulky racing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13717/26]
481. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any work ongoing in his Department in relation to the illegal and improper care and housing of horses and other animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13718/26]
482. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if heifers remained in the trucks while waiting to be loaded onto the vessel, or were they taken to an assembly centre where they were unloaded, rested, and fed when they were exported from Ireland to Libya on 5 January 2025 (details supplied); if they were held at an assembly centre; if so, which centre(s) were used; the reason for…
483. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider a specific statutory provision against sulky racing and training on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13809/26]
484. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the publication of the new Animal Welfare Strategy 2026-2030; if it will contain stronger provisions against improper and illegal use of horses on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13810/26]
242. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are any helplines to report incidents of animal cruelty. [13231/26]
884. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his approach to pet theft; whether pet theft is currently considered to be property theft; if the theft of domestic animals and pets is specifically legislated for; and if he is considering reform of legislation on pet theft [11623/26]
957. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the current enforcement of legislation to protect animals through arrests and animal seizures; if he has considered establishing a specific unit within his Department to combat animal cruelty; if he has considered establishing a specific unit within An Garda Síochána to combat animal cruelty. [12865/26]
958. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of vacant sites being used as horse stables in Dublin 8; if he is concerned over the abuse of horses at these sites. [12866/26]
974. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the recent death of a horse in a sulky race (details supplied); the current legal status of sulky racing in Ireland; if there are measures to better regulate this practice; his plans for better animal welfare regulations, particularly in the equine sports sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1225…
982. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures currently in place to ensure equine welfare; if horses can be rehomed if seized by State agents; and the process by which horses are licenced under current legislation. [12861/26]
983. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with current animal welfare legislation; if he has considered establishing a specific unit within his Department to combat animal abuse cruelty; and if he has considered reform of legislation relating to the protection of horses. [12862/26]
984. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his position on the regulation of urban horses; and if he has concerns over the abuse of horses in urban areas. [12863/26]
250. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport if he will engage with animal welfare organisations in relation to their specific concerns related to sulky racing on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11318/26]
251. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Transport his views on whether existing legislation is sufficient to address specific concerns related to sulky racing on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11319/26]
474. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of incidents reported to An Garda Síochána in each of the past five years concerning alleged animal cruelty offences; the number of investigations commenced; the number of animals seized; the number of files submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions. [11427/26]
486. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an animal welfare case (details supplied); if he believes existing animal welfare legislation is sufficient to address cases like this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11313/26]
487. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with an animal welfare organisation (details supplied) in relation to specific incident that occurred in Dublin on 3 February 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11315/26]
488. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with animal welfare organisations in relation to their specific concerns related to sulky racing on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11317/26]