2. Dr Aiken asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether he plans to ban electric and prong collars for use with cats and canines under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. (AQO 599/22-27)

My Department's code of practice for the welfare of dogs recommends that only positive, reward-based training be used and that potentially painful or frightening training methods, such as e-collars, be avoided. In that context, I am aware of the merits of banning such devices and am keen to explore how that can be achieved in this mandate, subject to available resources. I intend to discuss that and other animal welfare interventions with stakeholders in the time ahead.

I am aware that the Irish Government will introduce a regulation in the coming months to ban the use of manually operated shock-collar devices but not anti-bark collars or collars linked to boundary fences. Shock collars have been banned in Wales since 2010, and a recent report from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) recommended a ban in Scotland. Prior to the dissolution of Parliament, DEFRA introduced legislation to ban shock collars in England.

It should be noted, however, that, although the use of shock collars or e-collars is not banned in Northern Ireland, a person may use an e-collar on an animal only if it does not cause unnecessary suffering. For example, if people set the intensity of the device at a level that is deemed to be excessive, they could be causing that animal unnecessary suffering and be liable for prosecution under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

First, I apologise for not being in my seat when my question to the Minister of Justice was called. Secondly, as a person who looks after a dog — I am not a dog owner; I look after a dog, but it is very much my wife's dog — how do we define "unnecessary suffering" and how can this legislation be enforced? Without the definition and definitive act of banning the use of shock collars as soon as possible, how can we get away from the confusion in the law? Most people are confused about what the law is and how it will be applied.

I thank the Member for his supplementary question. There are strong merits to pursuing a ban. I want to engage with stakeholders in the coming weeks and months to get a clear position on our plan to take forward legislation in this mandate. The Member raises an important issue, and there is a strong justification for what he has said, but I also want to pursue many other areas of animal welfare legislation. That is why I want to engage with stakeholders to prioritise the interventions the Assembly needs to make in order to take every action that it can to outlaw animal cruelty in Northern Ireland.

The Minister shares my commitment to ending harm against animals. Can the Minister outline the support he has given to local councils across Northern Ireland to ensure that enforcement action is in place to remove animals as quickly as possible from those who are endangering their welfare?

I thank the Member for his question. First, I put on record my thanks to the district councils for their work in relation to this. I am grateful for that, and we have good partnership working with regard to it. The Member will be aware that the budget settlement my Department received at the beginning of the financial year is extremely demanding and stretched, particularly when my bid to continue the compensation scheme for bovine TB at 100% received nothing. The pressures on my Department are immense as a result of that. However, I want to help councils with that work, and I have made a bid for funding as part of the June monitoring. I am aware that there are ongoing judicial review proceedings on the matter, but I am seeking funding from the June monitoring for that. I want to go further than that: rather than only supporting the district councils, I want to support the charities. I am exploring with officials how, if the budget allows, to support the good work that they do.

Does the Minister see any merit in an all-Ireland ban on the use of shock collars?

There is a lot of merit. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, announced on 7 May 2024 that he would introduce a regulation in the coming months to ban the use of manually operated, remotely controlled electric shock collars. The proposal by the Minister does not include anti-bark collars or collars linked to perimeter fence systems. I wish to engage with my colleagues in the South on whatever we can do together to outlaw and ban animal cruelty on the island of Ireland and across the United Kingdom.

Has the Minister spoken to the Justice Minister about a joint approach to the creation and implementation of stiffer penalties and more appropriate punishments for those found guilty of animal cruelty?

I have looked at the sentencing framework for animal cruelty offences. I want to engage with stakeholders on the priorities for the time ahead, because we can prioritise that, but we also have to look at the other areas that we want to look at. I am aware of the frustration with the criminal justice outcomes, and I get that. I want to explore the work that we can do with stakeholders to address those concerns.