A leading farm animal welfare group has called on the Government to take the lead in banning the transport of livestock over long distances across the EU.
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) is today holding a demonstration outside the Department of Agriculture in protest at the practice.
The group said the protest is being held because new EU animal transport rules are being negotiated and may be finalised within the Irish presidency.
It wants the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, as president of the EU Agriculture Council, to take the lead in ensuring that new rules stop the long distance transport of live animals. CIWF wants an eight-hour total journey limit for all animals travelling for slaughter or further fattening.
CIWF's Irish director, Ms Mary-Ann Bartlett, said: "Neither the existing or proposed new EU animal transport laws include any total journey limit but simply lay down a cycle of transport and rest than can be repeated indefinitely.
"We know that long distance transport of live animals causes widespread suffering." Ms Bartlett said. "It is also totally outdated and unnecessary as the trade could be in meat."
"The opportunity to lead the EU into an era of genuine animal welfare reform is in the hands of the Irish Presidency," she claimed.
CIWF says its protest is supported by 45 animal welfare groups in 31 countries across the world. It says these groups will be making representations to Irish ambassadors in their own countries.
CIWF highlights the fact that each year about three million live animals - cattle, sheep, pigs and horses - are transported long distances across the EU and beyond. In the Republic, last year 138,000 cattle and calves were transported to continental Europe and over 35,000 cattle were shipped to the Lebanon.
