The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has spent just over €815,000 on measures controlling potential risks associated with brining pets of Ukrainian refugees to Ireland since Russia’s invasion of the country.
As refugees began arriving in Ireland, the department introduced measures to allow them to bring pets to Ireland, while increased controls were applied to “ensure the health and welfare of Irish pets and humans were protected”.
That’s according to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, who was speaking in response to a parliamentary question from independent Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan.
The minister said that, since the beginning of the war, the department has spent €815,568 on a series of measures controlling the risk associated with pets coming with their owners as refugees from Ukraine, and in supporting Ukrainian refugees to get their pets compliant with animal health requirements.
Since March 2022, the month after the start of the war, just over 2,000 pets from Ukraine were subject to control in Ireland, the vast majority of which took place in 2022. Since the beginning of 2023, only 215 pets have entered Ireland from Ukraine.
According to the minister, the costs incurred relate to the provision of kennelling; veterinary tests and treatment; identification of animals; secure transport; and translation costs. The single largest cost was the acquisition of additional kenneling facilities.
“This was necessary as the number of animals being encountered was far in excess of the capacity of the facilities already available to the department to deal with isolation/quarantine of imported animals,” Minister McConalogue said.
The department had published a request for tender to engage service providers for the transportation of pets arriving from Ukraine into Ireland from points of entry to isolation facilities.
However, no response was received from any service provider. Instead, the department received approval to engage with other service providers identified as potentially suitable to negotiate for the services required.
Minister McConalogue said that the department’s veterinary services at points of entry took steps to control the entry of these animals, check for compliance, and bring the animals into compliance with legislative travel requirements.
Those steps included microchipping of animals at the point of entry; providing tapeworm treatment and rabies vaccination for pets; and placing pets into isolation.
The department also put a system in place where follow-up blood samples could be collected.
The relaxation of restrictions on animals entering Ireland was provided for under an EU regulation. However, this derogation was made more restrictive over time.
From September 5, 2022, any dog that was presented without a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and a valid rabies antibody blood test at least 30 days later, was placed in official isolation for “an appropriate period”, the minister said.
From November 21 , 2022, any pet the entered Ireland that was not fully compliant with the regulations was required to be cared for in an official quarantine facility for a period of time, which had to be paid for by the owner.
From July 1 last year, all special emergency arrangements ceased for pets entering Ireland from Ukraine. Since then, all pets coming from that country were required to meet the same criteria for animals from any other non-EU country.
Animals that do not meet these criteria are either refused entry, or placed into quarantine for necessary tests and/or vaccination, with all costs borne by the owner.