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THE GOVERNMENT HAS said there are no plans to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in Ireland.
People Before Profit/Anti-Austerity Alliance’s Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed if he would support a national campaign calling for the banning of animals in circuses.
Animal welfare
The minister said conditions under which circus animals are kept and managed come under the scope of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 which he said contains rules relating to the welfare of all animals.
“Officials from my Department have met with representatives from circus groups and with animal welfare organisations and with colleagues in the Wildlife Service (NPWS) – the latter body on account of its role in the implementation of the licensing and inspection of zoos regulations and being the CITES Management Authority of Ireland,” he said.
Minister Creed said his department will continue to engage with stakeholders in order to ensure compliance with animal health and welfare of all animals.
However, he said that under Section 25 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 there are certain codes of practice that must be adhered to.
‘No plans’
While he said the use of animals in circuses is under constant review, the information he has to hand indicates “there are in fact very few wild animals currently in Irish circuses and I have no plans at this time to ban the use of wild animals in circuses”.
Earlier this year, one of Ireland’s most prominent animal charities renewed its call for a ban on animal circuses after a protest turned violent in Dublin.
The ISPCA launched its ‘Big Stop’ campaign calling for a total ban on animal circuses in Ireland.
It said the attractions “serve no conservation purpose and fail to educate their visitors about the animals used by them”.
This evening, a motion calling for the use of wild animals to be banned in circuses on council land was passed by Dublin City Council.
Speaking after the meeting, councillor Noeleen Reilly said: “I am delighted my motion was passed. This is a cruel outdated practice that holds no place in modern Ireland.”
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Government has ‘no plans’ full stop.
When I was studying as a vet nurse a colleague of mine was doing work experience at a circus she was horrified by what she saw a elephant chained up so long the skin was grown over the chains and bleeding. This poor animal had no choice in been at this circus we as people have so AVOID a circus with performing animals
I Know an EX Labour TD & His Wife Don’t Care About Animals Being Abused In The Circus. As They Are Very Fond Of Going To The Circus When There Here In Dublin.
that capitalisation is abusing my eyes
Whoever takes their kids to circus to watch drugged up, tortured and abused animals performing on stage, must be mentally impaired to say the least. It should be banned full stop, it’s cruel and inhuman. Boycott all circuses.
Creed acknowledges very few circuses use them, then there wont be much/any uproar if you ban it outright, will there!
Of course it doesn’t, because we as a country are an absolute disgrace when it comes to animal welfare. Im embarrassed to call myself Irish when it comes to our judicial system, and our attitude towards animals. A slap on the wrist and thats justice. Get fckd!
Typical of our government, Lilly livered and spineless, No regard for animals whatsoever,
like Coveney before him Creed ignores the innocent victims of cruelty,
They have no vote!
Thank you to the twenty for voting to ban hare coursing, Thank you to Scotland, you had the decency and the humanity to ban animals in the circus,
A while ago Coveney stated how he’s in favour of hare coursing, he’s a cheerleader for animal cruelty as long as it brings in money for him and his friends.
Aoife , I was just about to say that., none of them care about animal welfare , they are encouraging animal cruelty. remember these names when the next election comes around.
Any parent who brings their child to a circus to watch a poor abused drugged up animal who belongs in the wild are thick, clear and simple and I don’t care who you are. It’s really that simple you are a heartless human being, we all know what goes on there.
Agree 100%, this is exactly what I said in my comment up above, utterly disgusting. It is beyond me how anyone could find circus entertaining.
And the zoo, ban the zoo
zoos are involved in the conservation and welfare promotion of critically endangered species (critically endangered because of us), and when well designed and run can provide great habitats. unless we are willing to be more considerate in sharing the planet with other animals (rainforest?) zoos are the best we can do
There are much better ways to promote conservation. Animal parks let them live as they would in the wild, instead of in a cage or an extremely small habitat.
Surely if we can’t ensure our children’s safety in care homes and older people in state care and allow the homeless to sleep on the street I don’t really hold out much hope for our ability to ensure that private circuses don’t inflict cruelty on animals either intential or not.
Aoife. Well said.
Ban it now everyone in Europe is do we always have to be reminded of how backward we really are.
Ah choc salty balz. Enda has too much to worry about. Holidays school the kids etc. can’t hassle him.
Government won’t do anything.. Big surprise there!
Agreed Peter. This new politics is anything but that. It’s just more of the same old rubbish.
They made a brave stance by doing nothing.. Sad spineless bunch !
Just as well we expect nothing from this government but brutal and inhumane treatment. Savages that they are. How would anyone expect a poor animal to be safe in their care.
I suspect Paul Murphy and the boot boys will out to enforce their own moral code regardless .
I disagree with animals in circuses I disagree with AAA enforcement mobs more
Enda is the ring master of the greatest circus ever.
Great Country this… Why couldn’t we just follow other Countries in Europe and the World choosing to ban wild animals performing in circuses ? No because the level of cruelty against animals in this country is unbelievable and the Govt have their heads in the sand when it comes to this. Shame on them ! Meanwhile all the European circuses will haul their poor I’ll treated doped and drugged animals on ferries to Ireland because it’s deemed as OK here. Absolutely disgraceful in this day and age
the what can i be offended by today gang will be livid
A holes like you offend us everyday
You mean people with basic morals and empathy?
On June 30 last, 114 TDs, many of whom would like to consider themselves humane, compassionate etc., voted against Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan’s Bill to ban live hare coursing, with just 20 voting for the Bill. These TDs, we are told by their offices, received a massive amount of mail from the public who wanted to see the using of wild hares as live lures before greyhounds banned, yet they turned a blind eye, calculating that it would not be noticed, and it seems that because the media were pretty much silent on the issue, they got away with it. One prominent Fianna Fail TD told me that he tends to take a “laissez faire” attitude to these things and that he doesn’t believe in banning things, so I suppose we should be thankful that in the past, badger baiting, dog fighting and cockfighting were banned, as it’s unlikely, the present crop with their “laissez faire” attitude would have banned these barbaric activities. So it’s no surprise at all that the government have no plans to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, as indeed they have no plans to ban fur farming, foxhunting, the export of greyhounds to China and other cruelty destinations, tackle the cruelty and corruption in the greyhound industry and any other legal forms of animal cruelty going on in what is surely, thanks to the majority of our cowardly legislators, a “great little country” in which to do cruelty.
Thank you to the 20 who voted for the bill. Shame on the rest. It’s a disgrace.
They should ban the animals in the Circus in the Dail, Kildare Street Dublin.
Pretty embarrassing in this day and age that these lesser animals don’t realise yet they’re only here for our amusement and utilisation. Didn’t they read the Bible? When they can mine oil and have a Facebook page then they can torture us needlessly. God is great
Good morning everyone.
That level of optimism always reminds me of the scene from the brilliant satire blazing saddles when Bart meets the old lady on the street ‘Morning Madam, and aint it a lovely morning’ , the response from the old lady would explode twitter today
Seems this government is a circus full of quite astonishing clowns. Indeed the opposition is not much better with surreal week in politics, from hysterics over the vomit inducing Healy reas attendance at complete strangers funerals, Willie Penrose bemoaning the lack of Irish artists getting poor air time (listen back to the last word) beggars belief his bill was given any airtime and finally my favourite clown of all Mick “vat” Wallace who finally has had that judgement registered against him, you know the ,€2 million he owes that fund he has been on a mission claiming all sorts of conspiracies against. It’s quite astonishing given more important things needing attention this circus seems to be preoccupied with complete nonsense.
When did the government ever have a plan
Sure all they have are plans!
The vast majority of people are against animal act circuses- clearly illustrated when Circus Belly Wien came to Ireland with their chained up elephants and were forced to leave the country because of the opposition, protest and boycott of their cruel shows. Once again the out of touch establishment need to take a jump into the 21st century, where we don’t abuse animals for profit and entertainment.
They should.
Disgusting what’s wrong with our government
Eh , Kristina , we dont have a government.
People should stop going to any circus where an Animal preforms.
Put all the politicians who voted to keep the animals caged in chains and cages . It could be the slimy sneaky snake circus with the special appearances of the fat cats , the hibernating bears could put in an appearance every now and then when it’s feeding time in Leinster house .
I am against banning animals from circuses… a circus without animals is not a circus. I want to see the lion and tiger doing tricks. i want to see the elephant standing on the ball or whatever. I want to see the little ponies and the dude putting his head in the crocodiles mouth… etc etc.
How sad, Patrick. There is plenty of other ways to admire wildlife, violence against defensles animals shouldn’t be one of them.
Patrick. Were you not treated to the Circus when you were little, poor lad.
Go behind the scene of the Circus then maybe you will change your mind.
I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a cage with a hungry Tiger… Now that’s entertainment.
Typical, They have no empathy with animals……They have no votes!
Bunch of morons, except the twenty who voted to ban hare coursing,
Why should he… There’s plenty of sheep who voted for him!!
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