Animal activists take to streets
Monday October 06 2008
AROUND 300 demonstrators marched in Dublin yesterday to urge the Government to toughen their stance on animal cruelty.
Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) was joined by a host of other campaign groups to call on the Government "to enact tougher laws in the upcoming Animal Welfare Bill".
Commitments were made to replace the existing Bill, which was passed in 1911, in the Programme for Government.
Demonstration organiser, ARAN's John Carmody said they would be making a number of submissions for change.
"We're hoping that the Government will enact stronger legislation in the upcoming welfare bill to ban fur farming in Ireland, to ban animals in circuses and other forms of cruelty to animals," he told the Irish Independent.
"We also want tougher laws on people who abuse animals so once they are caught, we want them to get jail penalties. We're being very positive. Right across Europe, governments are bringing in really exciting change in animal welfare bills so we want the Government to get with the times and adopt stronger legislation and to obviously stamp out much of the continuing animal abuse."
A new Animal Welfare Bill is part of the Programme for Government but the opposition voiced concerns last night that the Department of Agriculture was dragging its heels on enacting it.
Labour spokesman on agriculture, Sean Sherlock said: "I've been asking about the Animal Welfare Bill in the Dail for some time but, as far as I know, consultation is still ongoing."
- Stephen O'Farrell
