Successive governments have pledged to ban fur farming in Ireland for some years now, after a campaign co-led by Respect for Animals.
Finally, the government has confirmed that mink farming will be outlawed in Ireland by the end of the year.
Banning fur farming is a part of the programme for government and was listed as a priority bill when the new year’s legislative programme was published.
It is listed for pre-legislative scrutiny this spring, meaning the Oireachtas agriculture committee will be able to examine the bill before it formally goes through the legislative process.
In early February, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., launched Ireland’s first over-arching Animal Welfare Strategy, which included a fur farming ban as number one priority,
He elaborated:
“Before Easter, I will bring legislation before the Oireachtas to prohibit fur farming in the State.”
The Department of Agriculture wrote to fur farmers last week to tell them that legislation would be moving forward this year to curb the practice.
While no formal date has been set or confirmed for the introduction of legislation, it is understood that mink farms will have to wind up their farms before the end of this year.
A compensation scheme will be put in place, although a final decision on the terms has yet to be finalised. Further consultation will take place on the shape of any scheme.
Respect for Animals is delighted at this progress and will hold the government to account in order to ensure that the horrendous process of fur factory farming is ended in Ireland once and for all in 2021.
Successive governments have pledged to ban fur farming in Ireland for some years now, after a campaign co-led by Respect for Animals.
Finally, the Irish Times has confirmed that mink farming will be outlawed in Ireland by the end of the year.
Banning fur farming is a part of the programme for government and was listed as a priority bill two weeks ago when the legislative programme was published.
It is listed for pre-legislative scrutiny this spring, meaning the Oireachtas agriculture committee will be able to examine the bill before it formally goes through the legislative process.
The Times understands that the Department of Agriculture wrote to fur farmers last week to tell them that legislation would be moving forward this year to curb the practice.
While no formal date has been set or confirmed for the introduction of legislation, it is understood that mink farms will have to wind up their farms before the end of this year.
A compensation scheme will be put in place, although a final decision on the terms has yet to be finalised. Further consultation with the farmers will take place on the shape of any scheme. Respect for Animals will also seek to contribute to this process.
There are only three mink farms in the Republic of Ireland: in Donegal, Kerry and Laois. Late last year Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer, recommended they be culled after a variant of Covid-19 was identified in mink farms in Denmark. Reports suggest that while talks started on the issue, no steps were taken to move forward with the cull of 120,000 minks.
This is because, in December each year about 80 per cent of mink are killed leaving about 20 per cent as breeding stock. It is understood there are only about 24,000 mink in the country at the moment.
Respect for Animals is delighted at this progress and will hold the government to account in order to ensure that the horrendous process of fur factory farming is ended in Ireland once and for all in 2021.
