Debate contribution: Register of Animal Welfare Offenders

Debate contribution by Mr Patsy McGlone on 22 October 2024.

MLA

Mr Patsy McGlone

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

22 October 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Register of Animal Welfare Offenders

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4608272

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome the motion and the focus on the need for tougher action against those who are convicted of animal cruelty. I suspect that most parties support the motion, at least in principle. After all, we are all animal lovers. It should not be a surprise that the SDLP supports the motion. In particular, we support the call for the Minister to establish a register of banned animal welfare offenders. We and, I think, all parties present supported the DUP motion in 2016 that called on the then Justice Minister to establish an accessible central register of those convicted of animal welfare offences. It was made clear shortly afterwards that the responsibility for establishing a register would lie with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The SDLP, with others, continued to lobby the relevant Minister on the issue. In 2021, we presented a public petition to the Assembly, signed by thousands of individuals and supported by the USPCA, calling on the AERA Minister to work alongside the Minister of Justice to establish such a register. Both Ministers at that time expressed support for the register. However, the then AREA Minister concluded in March 2022 that creating a register of animal cruelty offenders was not feasible. In his explanation for that decision, the DUP Minister responsible referenced apparent low reoffending rates, no evidential need for a register, the cost of establishing and maintaining a register, and the data protection implications. We did not agree with his reasoning then, and we do not now. I would be interested to hear from the proposer of the motion whether they now disagree with their party colleague, because the current Minister responsible has taken the same line, presumably based on the same advice from that same Department. We believe that any potential issues can and should be overcome. We believe that there is a need for a register that is established on an all-island basis. What is currently missing is the political will to make that happen. That will require a change in mindset in the Minister's Department but also in the Republic. What is noticeable is the low number of prosecutions brought to completion by the various enforcement bodies compared with the number of complaints and other actions taken. That is, perhaps, an indication that prosecutions are seen as a reluctant last resort, and that should certainly not be the case. If we are to take seriously the issue of cruelty and abuse of animals — or, indeed, abuse of our environment — that culture of enforcement needs to change. I hope that the Minister will take that point on board, and I do not doubt his sincerity or the will to do so. The Minister has suggested that there is a lack of evidence that registers of this kind are effective elsewhere. I would argue that the sample size is too small and the situations too varied to reach a conclusion based on that. A register of banned offenders would be an important additional tool in the battle against those who would abuse animals. That is how it should be assessed, and we are in a unique position here. To be effective, a register should be established on an all-island basis. The cross-border nature of criminal activity such as dog-fighting, badger-baiting and illegal puppy farming demands it. The Minister should consider proposals on that basis, and work with the Irish Government to that end. Let us do everything that we can to help those who are trying to prevent animal cruelty, and let us make animal welfare issues one of our key priorities. More proactive enforcement, tougher action against those found guilty of animal welfare offences — some of which are incredibly crass and cruel — and the establishment of an all-island register of banned offenders would be a step in that right direction.

643 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:27 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification