A woman from Co. Louth has been fined €3,710 after she was convicted of a range of offences for failing to have due regard to the health and welfare of pigs and sheep she kept on lands at Balriggan, Kilcurry, near Dundalk.

Dona Sfar of 129 Oaklands, Dundalk, Co. Louth, was convicted in absentia at Dundalk District Court recently for the offences which were committed on various occasions during July and August 2014.

The prosecution was taken by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (represented by John Ryan, BL, instructed by Fergus Mullen, State Solicitor) under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

Judge Flann Brennan found Sfar guilty and imposed fines totalling €1710 with costs of €1500 and expenses of the investigation of €500.

He also made an Order under section 58 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 banning Sfar from keeping animals for five years.

To date this year, 49 prosecutions have been taken by Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine arising from field inspections by Department Officers, authorised officers from the ISPA and the DSPCA and An Gardai Siochana under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 since its commencement on March 6, 2014.

Some 35 prosecutions are at various stages in the court system and the Department cannot comment on these.

The table below shows the cases that have been finalised before the courts and the sentences/fines handed down.

The majority of prosecutions relate to cruelty and neglect of dogs, while there is one case which relates to the cruelty and neglect of horses.

The most severe prosecution was a three month suspended sentence, a bond of €250 and a charity donation of €1,000 which was handed down to a person in Meath.

animal health prosecutions