Paul Murphy Reveals Undercover Footage of Pig Farming Abuse
Paul Murphy raised concerns about undercover investigations that exposed severe welfare problems on Irish pig farms and asked whether legislation will be brought to stop the treatment. He cited investigations by the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion and described cramped indoor conditions, farrowing crates, castration, docked tails and piglet deaths.
The National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion carried out undercover investigations on six randomly selected farms, producing video footage that Paul Murphy described as showing horrors. He warned that viewers "really do not want to watch the videos" of the conditions recorded.
Paul Murphy detailed the alleged conditions - pigs crammed together with tiny amounts of space, no natural light, poor ventilation and concrete floors. He described sows trapped in farrowing crates and unable literally to move for long periods, tails docked in very unhygienic ways, castration, abscesses on the floor, and piglets dying and being left dead.
Paul Murphy asked whether such treatment of pigs is acceptable and whether legislation will be brought to stop it. He framed the issue as requiring legal action and oversight to prevent the abuses he described.
Another Deputy responded that nobody thinks mistreatment of animals is acceptable and that clear laws and procedures must be adhered to. Speaking as the daughter of a farmer, the Deputy said the vast majority of farmers comply with regulations and treat animals well, acknowledged exemptions to the rules, and said those who do not comply need to be held accountable.
Undercover investigations
The National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion carried out undercover investigations on six randomly selected farms, producing video footage that Paul Murphy described as showing horrors. He warned that viewers "really do not want to watch the videos" of the conditions recorded.
Allegations of conditions
Paul Murphy detailed the alleged conditions - pigs crammed together with tiny amounts of space, no natural light, poor ventilation and concrete floors. He described sows trapped in farrowing crates and unable literally to move for long periods, tails docked in very unhygienic ways, castration, abscesses on the floor, and piglets dying and being left dead.
Question on legislation
Paul Murphy asked whether such treatment of pigs is acceptable and whether legislation will be brought to stop it. He framed the issue as requiring legal action and oversight to prevent the abuses he described.
Deputy's response
Another Deputy responded that nobody thinks mistreatment of animals is acceptable and that clear laws and procedures must be adhered to. Speaking as the daughter of a farmer, the Deputy said the vast majority of farmers comply with regulations and treat animals well, acknowledged exemptions to the rules, and said those who do not comply need to be held accountable.
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Transcript
Thanks very much. 3.5 million pigs are slaughtered in Ireland every year. We don't really see them much because they are largely confined indoors in big metal sheds. However, thanks to undercover investigations by the National Animal Rights Association and Animal Rebellion, we know what is going on inside these sheds and really horrors is happening to these pigs. Now, six farms have been randomly selected and have had undercover investigations in them, and you really do not want to watch the videos of the kind of conditions. These pigs crammed together, tiny, tiny amounts of space, no natural light, no not good ventilation, concrete floors, mother pigs unable literally to move because they're trapped in farrowing crates for a long period of time, tails docked in very unhygienic ways, castration, lying with like abscesses on the floor, piglets dying and just left dead. This is not just one or two rotten apples very, very clearly. The question is, do you think this kind of treatment of pigs is acceptable and will you be bringing legislation to stop it? Thank you Deputy. I don't think anybody thinks mistreatment of any animal, whether it's an animal in the food chain or an animal in our home or a pet, is acceptable and we need to make sure that where there are very clear laws and very clear procedures that should be in place that they are adhered to. As the daughter of a farmer, I would say the vast majority of farmers comply with these regulations and in fact treat their animals better than they might treat anybody else. So I appreciate that there are exemptions to the rules here, but obviously where somebody does not comply with very strict regulations, then they need to be held accountable. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy.