Electro-immobilisation ban on June 1

A BAN on the continued use of electro-immobilisation to control aggressive farm animals for veterinary treatment is due to come into effect as planned on June 1.

Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan made this clear in a written reply to a Dáil question by Kerry North TD Jimmy Deenihan. He had asked her to review plans to ban the process in the interest of safety for farmers and professionals working with animals.

Ms Coughlan said the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council asked the Animal Health and Welfare Scientific Advisory Committee in 2004 to evaluate the physical and psychological effects on farm animals subjected to this procedure and to furnish a view. The committee examined all aspects and recommended that the practice should be prohibited. Her department sought the considered views of all relevant stakeholders on the recommendation.

“Having considered all of the views received, I decided to accept the recommendation of the committee to prohibit electro-immobilisation on live farm animals,” she said.

Ms Coughlan said the ban is due to come into effect on June 1. The stakeholders whose views had been sought have been notified.

She said she is aware of the possible risks to operators in the handling of large and difficult animals, but she was in no doubt that the continued use of electro-immobilisation cannot be justified on animal welfare grounds for the purposes for which it has been used.