February 8, 2021

Ireland launches first animal welfare strategy

Reducing tail docking in pigs is on the agenda of Ireland's first Animal Welfare Strategy.

Taking a "One Health, One Welfare" approach, the strategy recognises the strong interconnections and interdependences between human, animal and environmental health, and is underpinned by five guiding principles: working in partnership, science and evidence-led policy-making, improving education and knowledge, consistent evaluation and assessment and an effective regulatory system.

Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, announced that in a recent amendment to Ireland's Rural Development Programme, the investment ceiling available under the Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme (among the seven capital investment measures available under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme, or TAMS II), is increased from €80,000 (US$96,276) to €200,000 (US$240,631) and will include some additional animal welfare conditionality. It is anticipated that this increased ceiling will be available in the next tranche of TAMS II.

Other actions under the strategy include a renewed emphasis on animal-based indicators to assess welfare standards and reducing the prevalence of tail docking in pigs.

- Government of Ireland