Taoiseach Micheál Martin has stated that "urgent attention" is being given to fears over the spread of a mutated strain of COVID19 which could undermine the effectiveness of vaccines in development.
Responding to a Dail Question from Social Democrats TD, Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow), the Taoiseach revealed that "the Chief Medical Officer has been consulted in relation to any risks that may or may not be there in terms of mink farms in Ireland and Covid-19" and that the government's policy position to phase out fur farming "is something we intend to progress".
In her Dail speech, Deputy Whitmore urged the Taoiseach to "move immediately to legislate and ban fur farming in Ireland and to transition those farms currently in production out of production".
"There are obvious ethical and environmental reasons for [ending fur farming]," she stated. "However, recent reports from across Europe of Covid being found in mink farms and the very worrying reports from Denmark where there would appear to be a mutant version of the coronavirus having spread from mink to humans would indicate there is a much more urgent need to ban mink farms in Ireland."
In a statement published on the Social Democrats website, Deputy Whitmore acknowledged that Department of Agriculture officials are currently preparing the appropriate draft heads of a Bill to be published by 2021.
"This is far too late given the heightened urgency of the situation," she said. "There are three large mink farms operating in Laois, Donegal and Kerry, which produce approximately 110,000 pelts per annum. This industry must be banned immediately and we need to see an urgent transition out of existing mink farms.”
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Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
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Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
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Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
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Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly
Tel: (01) 201 7300 or (01) 618 3041
Email: ministersoffice@health.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DonnellyforWicklow
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DonnellyStephen
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: (01) 618 3199
Email: charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
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Ban fur farming in Ireland
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SEE ALSO:
Urgent need for ban on mink farms after Covid strain detected abroad
https://www.socialdemocrats.ie/urgent-need-for-ban-on-mink-farms-after-covid-strain-detected-abroad/
Coronavirus testing at Irish mink farms under way
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1109/1176939-coronavirus-mink/
COVID19 testing at Irish fur farms: Govt must shut them down
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3425502754231925
Letter: Government should roll out ban on fur farming
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3427209740727893
Mink screaming: Tell Irish Government to shut down fur farms
https://youtu.be/62P0saq6DO0
Dail Debates, Fur Farming, 11 November 2020
Jennifer Whitmore TD: The programme for Government commits to the phasing out of fur farms. This is very welcome because there are obvious ethical and environmental reasons for doing so. However, recent reports from across Europe of Covid being found in mink farms and the very worrying reports from Denmark where there would appear to be a mutant version of the coronavirus having spread from mink to humans would indicate there is a much more urgent need to ban mink farms in Ireland. c and to transition those farms currently in production out of production?
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD: The issue is receiving the urgent attention and ongoing engagement of the both the Department of Agriculture and the Minister for Health. The Chief Medical Officer has been consulted in relation to any risks that may or may not be there in terms of mink farms in Ireland and Covid-19. Already, a policy position has been adopted by the last Oireachtas to phase out mink farming in Ireland. That is something we intend to progress.