More than 100 animal rights activists marched through Dublin city yesterday to urge the Government to tighten animal welfare laws, writes Ruadhán MacCormaic.
Members of Animal Rights Action Network (Aran) walked along O'Connell Street to draw attention to the plight of animals used in laboratories, hunting and circus shows. The event was held as part of International Animal Rights Day.
Rally organiser John Carmody said: " We're calling on the Government to do something to stop this terrible cruelty that's taking place in today's society. We have been pleading with the Government to ban fur, ban the use of animals in circuses, ban blood sports. These are all things that have been banned in other countries around the world."
Labour spokeswoman on agriculture and food Dr Mary Upton said those who experimented on the 55,000 animals in science labs in Ireland each year should be obliged to record the level of pain they experienced during tests.