2777. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether existing legislation is sufficient to deal with cases of animal abuse/mistreatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62967/26]

My Department has lead policy responsibility within Government for animal welfare and takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously. I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner.

The legal framework within which issues relating to animal neglect or cruelty are addressed, is the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. This is a modern Act and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on 6th March 2014. The Act is the main legal instrument available to my Department to enforce animal welfare standards.

Where breaches or shortcomings are identified, appropriate enforcement action is undertaken by my Department and authorised officers under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, including An Garda Síochána, Customs agents, authorised officers appointed by local authorities and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA). Any reports of welfare issues received by my Department, including breaches of the animal welfare legislation, are acted upon and investigated.

The Act provides for a range of penalties that may be imposed. On summary conviction, an offender may be fined up to €5,000 (a Class A fine) and/or be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of up to 6 months. On conviction on indictment, a fine of up to €250,000 and or a term of 5 years imprisonment may be imposed. To date, 227 successful prosecutions have been taken under the Act, and a number of other investigations are ongoing.

My Department keeps the Act under review in light of key developments in the area of animal health and welfare, the legislative environment more generally, and having regard to the practical lessons learned from operating the Act.

My Department operates a confidential animal welfare helpline through which members of the public can report incidents of animal cruelty or neglect for investigation.

The dedicated e-mail address and helpline in place for reporting suspected cases of animal welfare are:

Helpline Phone No: 01 607 2379.

Email address - animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie