Animal Welfare Information Ireland
Irish Animal Welfare Legislation
The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 serves as the primary legislation governing animal welfare in Ireland.
The Act includes amendments to existing enactments such as the Animal Remedies Act 1993, the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010, and the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011.
The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013
Section 2.—(1) In this Act—
“farm animal” means an animal—
(a) bred or kept for the production of food, wool, skin, fur or feathers, or
(b) for use in, or for the purposes of, breeding, sport or the farming of land,
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“protected animal” means an animal—
(a) kept for farming, recreational, domestic or sporting purposes in the State,
(b) when it is in the possession or under the control of a human being whether permanently or on a temporary basis, or
(c) that is not living in a wild state;
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“unnecessary suffering” means, in relation to an animal, pain, distress or suffering (whether physical or mental) that in its kind or degree, or in its object, or in the circumstances in which it occurs, is unreasonable or unnecessary;
and includes (but is not limited to) bovine, ovine, porcine and caprine animals, cervidae, equidae, bees and poultry (including domesticated game birds);
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Section 12 – Prohibition on Animal Cruelty
12.—(1) A person shall not—
(a) do, or fail to do, anything or cause or permit anything to be done to an animal that causes unnecessary suffering to, or endanger the health or welfare of, an animal, or
(b) neglect, or be reckless, regarding the health or welfare of an animal.
(2) A person who contravenes this section commits an offence.
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View: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013
Irish Animal Welfare
General animal cruelty issues
Gardaí
T: 1800 666 111- Garda Confidential Line /Free-phone
Garda Station Directory
https://www.garda.ie/en/contact-us/station-directory/
Farm animals, including horses.
Department of Agriculture, Food, and Marine/DAFM-Animal Welfare Division
T: 01 607 2379
E: animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie
Companion Animals
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals/NSPCA
T: 01 499 4727 – Dublin and surrounding areas
T: 0818 515 515 – All other areas
W: https://nspca.ie/report-cruelty/
Wildlife
National Parks and Wildlife Service/NPWS
T: 999/112 or Local Garda Station
E: WildlifeEnforcement@npws.gov.ie
Marine
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI)
T: 0818 347424-24/7
To report water pollution, fish kills, or issues of concern in local rivers/lakes and water sources.
Irish Animal Welfare Statistics
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Irish Animal Welfare Reports
The Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing Bill 2020
Proposer: Paul Murphy- People Before Profit-Solidarity
Vote Taken: 8th July 2026
Location: Dáil Eireann – Irish Parliament – Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Official Voting Record:
Electorate: 174 TDs – A Member of the Dáil is commonly referred to as a Teachta Dála (TD) or Deputy.
Yes-24
No-24
Did not Vote: 25
TDs: YES – Voted In Favour Of a Ban on Hare Coursing
Total: 24
Ciarán Ahern (Labour Party)
Ivana Bacik (Labour Party)
Holly Cairns (Social Democrats)
Ruth Coppinger (People Before Profit-Solidarity)
Jen Cummins (Social Democrats)
Gary Gannon (Social Democrats)
Sinéad Gibney (Social Democrats)
Paul Nicholas Gogarty (Independent)
Eoin Hayes (Social Democrats)
Rory Hearne (Social Democrats)
George Lawlor (Labour Party)
Paul Murphy (Solidarity – People Before Profit)
Ged Nash (Labour Party)
Cian O’Callaghan (Social Democrats)
Robert O’Donoghue (Labour Party)
Roderic O’Gorman (Green Party)
Liam Quaide (Social Democrats)
Pádraig Rice (Social Democrats)
Conor Sheehan (Labour Party)
Marie Sherlock (Labour Party)
Duncan Smith (Labour Party)
Mark Wall (Labour Party)
Charles Ward (100% Redress Party)
Jennifer Whitmore (Social Democrats)
TDs: No – Voted In Favour Of a Ban on Hare Coursing
Total: 125
William Aird (Fine Gael)
Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
Cathy Bennett (Sinn Fein)
Grace Boland (Fine Gael)
Tom Brabazon (Fianna Fail)
John Brady (Sinn Fein)
Brian Brennan (Fine Gael)
Shay Brennan (Fianna Fail)
Colm Brophy (Fine Gael)
James Browne (Fianna Fail)
Pat Buckley (Sinn Fein)
Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
Peter Burke (Fine Gael)
Mary Butler (Fianna Fail)
Paula Butterly (Fine Gael)
Joanna Byrne (Sinn Fein)
Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
Michael Cahill (Fianna Fail)
Catherine Callaghan (Fine Gael)
Dara Calleary (Fianna Fail)
Seán Canney (Independent)
Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Fine Gael)
Matt Carthy (Sinn Fein)
Jack Chambers (Fianna Fail)
Sorca Clarke (Sinn Fein)
Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere (Fianna Fail)
John Clendennen (Fine Gael)
Michael Collins (Independent Ireland)
Niall Collins (Fianna Fail)
John Connolly (Fianna Fail)
Rose Conway-Walsh (Sinn Fein)
Joe Cooney (Fine Gael)
Réada Cronin (Sinn Fein)
Cathal Crowe (Fianna Fail)
David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
John Cummins (Fine Gael)
Martin Daly (Fianna Fail)
Pa Daly (Sinn Fein)
Aisling Dempsey (Fianna Fail)
Máire Devine (Sinn Fein)
Cormac Devlin (Fianna Fail)
Alan Dillon (Fine Gael)
Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)
Albert Dolan (Fianna Fail)
Paul Donnelly (Sinn Fein)
Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)
Dessie Ellis (Sinn Fein)
Mairéad Farrell (Sinn Fein)
Frankie Feighan (Fine Gael)
Michael Fitzmaurice (Independent Ireland)
Sean Fleming (Fianna Fail)
Norma Foley (Fianna Fail)
Pat the Cope Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
James Geoghegan (Fine Gael)
Thomas Gould (Sinn Fein)
Ann Graves (Sinn Fein)
Johnny Guirke (Sinn Fein)
Marian Harkin (Independent)
Danny Healy-Rae (Independent)
Martin Heydon (Fine Gael)
Emer Higgins (Fine Gael)
Martin Kenny (Sinn Fein)
Keira Keogh (Fine Gael)
Claire Kerrane (Sinn Fein)
Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
John Lahart (Fianna Fail)
James Lawless (Fianna Fail)
Paul Lawless (Aontú)
Michael Lowry (Independent)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein)
Micheál Martin (Fianna Fail)
David Maxwell (Fine Gael)
Paul McAuliffe (Fianna Fail)
Noel McCarthy (Fine Gael)
Charlie McConalogue (Fianna Fail)
Tony McCormack (Fianna Fail)
Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn Fein)
Donna McGettigan (Sinn Fein)
Séamus McGrath (Fianna Fail)
Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
Conor D McGuinness (Sinn Fein)
Denise Mitchell (Sinn Fein)
Kevin Boxer Moran (Independent)
Aindrias Moynihan (Fianna Fail)
Michael Moynihan (Fianna Fail)
Shane Moynihan (Fianna Fail)
Jennifer Murnane O’Connor (Fianna Fail)
Michael Murphy (Fine Gael)
Johnny Mythen (Sinn Fein)
Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael)
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Sinn Fein)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Sinn Fein)
Carol Nolan (Independent)
Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fail)
Eoin Ó Broin (Sinn Fein)
Maeve O’Connell (Fine Gael)
James O’Connor (Fianna Fail)
Willie O’Dea (Fianna Fail)
Kieran O’Donnell (Fine Gael)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Fianna Fail)
Louis O’Hara (Sinn Fein)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Fein)
Ryan O’Meara (Fianna Fail)
Naoise Ó Muirí (Fine Gael)
Ruairí Ó Murchú (Sinn Fein)
Louise O’Reilly (Sinn Fein)
Darren O’Rourke (Sinn Fein)
John Paul O’Shea (Fine Gael)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Sinn Fein)
Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Sinn Fein)
Christopher O’Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
Pádraig O’Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
Maurice Quinlivan (Sinn Fein)
Neale Richmond (Fine Gael)
Peter Roche (Fine Gael)
Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)
Brendan Smith (Fianna Fail)
Brian Stanley (Independent)
Edward Timmins (Fine Gael)
Peadar Tóibín (Aontú)
Gillian Toole (Independent)
Robert Troy (Fianna Fail)
Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
Mark Ward (Sinn Fein)