Animal transport rules will up costs
Irish standards are almost as high as those put forward by the European Commission, according to Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh, but the proposals will increase the cost of transport.
David Byrne, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said the strict new rules were necessary because member states have ignored the existing ones.
He admitted the cost of carrying the €17.5 million animals annually are transported around Europe and to Russia, the Middle East and Africa will rise in the future by up to 20%.
But he said this would add less than 1.5% to the cost of an animal when it got to the stage of being slaughtered.
“The price variation in meat over the past year was up to 40% so this additional cost should not be noticeable,” he said.
To overcome the problem of countries failing to enforce the existing rules, Mr Byrne has identified a chain of all those involved in animal transport who will be made responsible for their welfare.
Tools such as the tachograph, which keeps a record of the distance travelled and rest periods taken, will also be used to enforce the new rules.
Stricter rules for journeys of more than nine hours will be introduced with an enforced rest of 12 hours after each nine hours travelled.
The animals will not be allowed to be tied up, horses will have their own stalls with a fresh supply of water and hay and there will be more space for all animals with up to 40% more for pigs.
Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh said some aspects of these proposals had the potential to impose additional costs on live exports from Ireland and on transport but animal welfare was still a priority.
“However, I am fully committed to ensuring that our access to continental and Third World markets would be maintained while at the same time protecting animal welfare. In this regard, Ireland had been to the forefront in improving standards and existing rules had underpinned the live export trade which was of major importance to the livestock sector.”
