Victor Boyhan presses for final payments to closed mink farms

Thank you. At the very outset, I want to thank you for selecting this important commencement matter. I want to thank Minister Grealish for coming here to address this commencement matter, which is an important one, and I suppose, Minister, in essence, what have I asked? I have asked for the Minister to make a statement on mink farms in Ireland now closed, and to confirm the status and compensation agreed, and with the affected operators, and if there are any outstanding matters in relation to say. You will be aware, Minister, that the Animal Health and Welfare Forestry Miscellaneous Bill of 2022, now an act, provided for the statutory prohibition of fur farming along with compensation scheme. The very outset, I want to be clear, I fully supported the legislation. I did act proactively and robustly on behalf of the three owners, because I recognised that they had a valid business, regardless of my views on animal welfare in relation to mink farming, which I do not support. But I do support the fact that they had legitimate legal enterprises within this state, and the state took a decision in conjunction with stakeholders, conscious of European directions in relation to this matter, conscious to a whole range of issues, and it was decided that the remaining fur farms would close. But commensurate with that would be a package of compensation for the employees, for the farm enterprises, and that would basically be in the replacement of alternative agri-related uses for these farms. And so, in January 2023, the then Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConnelogue, signed the legislative order, which saw the closure of a fur farm in Kerry, Donegal, and County Leash. I understand that over two million compensation has already been given to existing farm owners. And my concern really relates to one in County Leash, and I know there are extending circumstances around it. I do not want to get into the naming of it, because that is not relevant. What is relevant here, Minister, is that there was an agreement entered with fur farmers to close them down. They have complied with that. They have humanely destroyed any breeding stocks they have. And I understand there is now no legal fur farming in Ireland at all. So the issue, therefore, is the outstanding issue of the payment. And the legislation, as I say, made provision for the payment of this compensation, based on the income loss, the non-income, the cost for the dereliction, the cost to provide alternative enterprise, because we are talking about people's livelihoods here too. So I really, really want to know what is the plan, what is the scheme of things, what is the timeframe. Might I say, I took a look this morning at the Veterinary Ireland policy document on fur farming, and I think they made a very, very strong case. They set out the European model and the concerns about animal welfare, and it made absolute sense. So I want to acknowledge that very significant document, which was the Veterinary Ireland policy document on fur farming in 2018. So there is no dispute, fur farming is banned in Ireland, most of the compensation has been paid out. But there are a few outstanding issues, and I would hope, Minister, that we can get some sort of pathway and timeline to resolve those outstanding issues. So that we can say in the next few weeks and months that, for once and for all, the complete package fur farming is banned. The farmers, the people involved in this enterprise, have been fully compensated. The workers that were involved in this have been compensated to a relevant financial position put in place for them, and we can progress. Because this is about honour, it is about commitment to what we agreed when we signed up to this legislation and supported this legislation. Thank you, Minister. I would like to thank Senator Byhan for raising this issue this morning. The programme for Government 2020 contained a commitment regarding the prohibition of fur farming. As a result of this commitment, my Department enacted the Animal Welfare and Forestry Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022 in December 2022, amending the Animal Health Act and Welfare Act 2013. The new Act contained a strategy prohibition on the breeding, rearing or keeping of certain animals solely or primarily for the value of or the manufacture of products from their foot or skin. In June 2021, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McClonellog, announced compensation for fur farming operators licensed under the Musk Rat Act 1933 following a decision to ban the practice. My Department introduced the legislative framework to compensate the remaining fur farming operators in Ireland that were impacted by the ban. Under the Animal Health and Welfare Fur Farming Compensation Scheme Regulations 2022 SI650 of 2022 for farming operators could receive compensation for income losses, non-income losses and cost to court as a direct result of the ban. SI650 of 2022 also made provisions for compensation with respect of loss of profits, demolition and clean-up costs and professional fees for services both before and after provision. My Department was also aware that workers who had been made redundant needed to be provided for in the legislation, as you raised, Senator. Therefore, a further provision was included to ensure a training fund to compensate the redundant workers affected by the closing of the fur farming operators. In accordance with SI650 of 2022, in order to avail of the compensation scheme for farming operators required to submit a completed application for compensation to my Department, no later than the date of the appointment of the Assessor, Ernest and Young, who were appointed in December 2022 by the then Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McClonellog, to determine payment amounts. Determinations by the Assessor required the application to submit a completed application with all the required supporting documentation. The Assessor appointed a quantity surveyor to provide expert advice on certain demolition repurposing works and the site visit was required for this work to proceed. Work is ongoing in this matter. The compensation process has been ongoing since December 2022. To date, a total of almost 3.4 million has been paid out for fur farming operators under this scheme. I will bring back to the Senior Minister the issues that you raised as well on this matter, Senator. Thank you. I think that is a very comprehensive response. I want to thank you for that, Minister. And of course, now the compensation has risen and I am glad that you have confirmed that it is now 3.4 million. And you mentioned Ernest and Young, their role in it too. And I suppose no one does anything for nothing and everyone has to be paid. So, look, I really think the issue is the remaining outstanding issues is around the demolition, how that is going to be dealt with appropriately, and then the repurposing, and I think then the compensation. And I hope to come back in here in a few months and put the same commencement matter down. And at that stage, hopefully, we will have a response that this business is signed off on, completed, as in line with the legislation that was passed through both houses of the Awáctis. I want to thank you for your engagement in this matter, Minister. Thank you. Go raibháith agat, Seánadóir. I would like to thank the Senator again for raising this topic. My Department and the Contractor Assessor Ernest and Young have made every effort to expedite applications and pay the determined compensation amounts in accordance with SI650 of 2022 in a timely manner. SI65022 provides for an application procedure for compensation purposes. The compensation includes payments for income losses, non-income losses, and cost of quarters as a direct result of the ban. There have been recent developments at the EU level in relation to fur farming. The Commission on Implementation Regulations EU20251422 of July 2025 provides for a ban on the breeding of American mink from August 2027. Ireland is one of 16 other member states that has already banned fur farming. My Department keeps animal welfare legislation under review with respect to developments in the areas of animal welfare and with regard to the practical lessons. Go raibháith agathe, Seánadóir, for raising this important issue. bukan mijatagathe, er.