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Proposed legislation that would ban the live export of animals from Britain for fattening and slaughter outside of the UK, should also include live exports from NI, a debate in the House of Commons on Monday was told.
Strongly making the case for a ban was DUP MP Sammy Wilson, supported by his party colleagues, Jim Shannon and Carla Lockhart.
In his remarks proposing a motion to amend the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill, Wilson reminded MPs that by not extending the scope of the legislation to NI, it means a significant part of the UK will be excluded.
“That exclusion is important, because the most likely source of exports of animals that will suffer as a result of long journeys is NI,” he said.
He claimed that animals from NI going to the EU are transited through the Republic of Ireland (ROI), taken on a 23-hour boat journey before being transported to the likes of the south of Spain or further abroad.
The potential suffering is “very severe” said the East Antrim MP.
He also suggested that if his party motion to include NI was accepted, DUP MPs would then table an amendment to the Bill that would allow NI livestock to continue to be exported to ROI for fattening and slaughter.
Sympathetic
Responding to the DUP motion, Defra Minister Mark Spencer said he was “enormously sympathetic” to the arguments put forward by the DUP.
However, he maintained that various international rules mean the UK could not allow live exports solely to ROI, while excluding other countries.
“Given that such a carve-out is not possible, extending the Bill to NI would end all livestock exports for slaughter and fattening from NI, including to ROI,” he warned, noting that the EU is also currently looking at rules around animal transport, which will impact NI.
With the UK government unable to extend its Bill to NI, the DUP motion was withdrawn.
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