Vets have welcomed the UK Government’s efforts to ensure access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland does not stop at the end of the year – while stressing that there is more work to be done.

H&H has reported on serious concerns raised by vets and ministers over a potential shortage of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland after December 2025 (news, 5 September 2024). This is Brexit-related: Northern Ireland has remained in the single market, but gets most of its veterinary medicines from Britain.

On 19 June, the UK Government published a policy paper outlining its approach to securing the continued supply of vital veterinary medicines.

It states that it expects vets, farmers and owners to continue to have access to the medicines they need “in the vast majority of cases”, but recognises that any disruption is a concern.

The plans include two initiatives – the veterinary medicines health situation scheme and the veterinary medicines internal market scheme – designed to help vets access medicines they need, where there are gaps or shortages. The paper also sets out plans to minimise “time-consuming” and “burdensome” paperwork in such situations.

The North of Ireland Veterinary Association (NIVA) said it “broadly supports this work by the UK Government” and that the schemes are “a positive step”.

“These will provide a legal framework for maintaining access to essential veterinary medicines, from EU member states and Great Britain, helping fill the gaps,” a NIVA spokesperson said.

“NIVA recognises that there are likely to be teething problems and that veterinary professionals will need clear guidance and reassurance that they are acting within the rules. It is encouraging that the UK Government has listened to concerns raised by the profession, with a commitment to ongoing engagement and refinement. One of our key asks is to reduce the administrative burden for vets by minimising paperwork.

“In summary, while the outcome is not perfect and much will depend on the detail and delivery, NIVA welcomes this progress and looks forward to supporting the next phase of work to protect animal health and welfare in Northern Ireland, safeguard trade and food

safety and ensure veterinary professionals are equipped to continue delivering high standards of care.”

British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) chief executive David Mountford told H&H that although BEVA welcomes the Government’s efforts, “there’s no room for complacency”.

“Even a small gap in availability can have serious consequences for equine welfare. Vets need certainty, not contingency plans. BEVA urges swift, practical implementation – and ongoing dialogue with those on the clinical front line,” he said.

Dawn Howard, chief executive of the UK’s National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), said that the paper “is an important milestone and a clear acknowledgement of the need for a long-term, sustainable solution.”

She also welcomed the UK Government’s work and the introduction of the schemes, and added: “However, we reiterate that the most effective and enduring solution remains a comprehensive UK-EU veterinary medicines agreement. Such an agreement would provide clarity and confidence to manufacturers and distributors, helping ensure continued supply and investment in the sector.”

British Veterinary Association (BVA) president Elizabeth Mullineaux said the BVA has been “consistently pushing the UK Government for certainty around continued access to veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland” and the remedies announced are a “positive development”.

“However, while the remedies provide some reassurances, the detail of how the schemes work for vets in Northern Ireland will be critical to understanding how effective they are in reality,” she said. “We will continue to engage with the Government to ensure our members and the wider profession’s voices are heard as the detail is firmed up.”

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A “poorly thought-out” bill to end hunting in Northern Ireland has been rejected following criticism that it is unworkable and “risks criminalising ordinary people”.

The Hunting of Wild Mammals (Northern Ireland) private members bill, brought by the Alliance Party’s John Blair, was defeated at the second stage by 45 to 38 at a members of the legislative assembly (MLA) vote on Monday (6 December). This means it will not progress further.

The motion proposed to ban all hunting with dogs in Northern Ireland, the remaining part of the UK where traditional hunting remains legal, and to go further by putting a stop to trail-hunting before it could become an option (feature, 2 December).

Mr Blair described the bill as a “historic opportunity to make a significant difference” and lead the way in “ensuring full, robust protection for animals persecuted for sport and human enjoyment”.

“The bill is not intended in any way to restrict traditional country sports such as shooting, using gun dogs or angling,” he said, adding it is not his intention to “go further than the scope of the bill as outlined”, nor to include drag or clean boot hunting in its remit.

“The bill maintains appropriate balance by exempting hunting from the ban in certain circumstances, including avoiding damage to livestock, crops or property and causing damage to the biological diversity of an area.”

The breakdown of the vote shows the motion was not without support. But concerns were raised during the debate over reasons for the bill, prejudice, misrepresentation, a lack of examination of evidence, knock-on effects resulting in difficulties for farmers protecting their livestock and unclear wording that could result in ordinary dog owners being “criminalised”.

William Irwin MLA, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), told the assembly of his concerns of the “unintended consequences” of the “bad legislation” and that he had received “hundreds of pieces of correspondence” from people “deeply concerned about this poorly thought-out bill”.

“Practically every dog owner in the country whose dog may, at some point, chase a wild animal could be committing an offence if this poorly thought-out and ill-advised draft law were actually to come into force,” he said.

“The bill is poorly drafted, and its promotion has raised the concerns of many people. The bill sponsor has unfairly painted a picture of rural life that is simply untrue. That is a regrettable by-product of this bad draft legislation.”

He added that the bill is an “attempt to create division and misrepresent the rural community” and raised worries over the difficulties it would create for farmers to deal with attacks on livestock.

“It would mean a criminal offence being committed if a dog, while out for a run with its owner, decides to chase a wild animal. The poorly constructed bill is concerningly open in its language in that area,” he said.

“It would have serious implications for a wide range of scenarios, such as a simple day out in the country with your pet dog. It would also have implications for rough shooters, gamekeepers, pest controllers and, indeed, farmers.”

Rosemary Barton MLA, Ulster Unionist Party, also drew attention to the ambiguities of the bill and the issues these may cause, such as for dog owners, and that it could also end drag hunting under its current wording.

Jonathan Buckley MLA, DUP, added that the reasons for proposing this legislation “appear to be as vague as they are misguided”, questioning whether Mr Blair had “not witnessed the turmoil” nor listened to the criticism of the laws in England, Wales and Scotland.

“To argue that a ban on the use of hunting dogs is somehow justified simply because the rest of the United Kingdom has enacted similar disastrous laws is as pointless as it is ill-founded,” added Mr Buckley.

“We should be learning from the mistakes that other parts of the United Kingdom have made, not blindly following for some dubious virtue-signalling reason. However, the legislators here in Northern Ireland resolved the issue many years ago, when legislation that protected animal welfare and the right to hunt coexisted.

“The law permitted the prosecution of anyone, including hunt supporters, if unnecessary suffering to an animal had been caused. It is highly significant that, during those years, not one prosecution was brought forward.”

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Irish competitors will no longer have to travel overseas to pick up a ticket for a number of Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) showing classes, as qualifiers will return to the Emerald Isle in 2016.

Six qualifying classes will be held at the Northern Ireland Festival (22-24 April). Show organiser John Irwin told H&H he has been “walking on air” since receiving the confirmation on 30 November.

The show has been granted qualifiers for the Cuddy working hunter of the year championship (horses) as well as the 133cm, 143cm, 153cm and intermediate working hunter pony of the year. It has also been awarded a Cuddy in-hand championship qualifier.

“It has been a while since we have had HOYS qualifiers in Ireland, and to get that range is fantastic,” Mr Irwin said. “It just lifts the show to a different level.”

Tattersalls and Clogher Valley Show are among the Irish shows that have held qualifiers in the past.

However, no HOYS-connected classes were held in Ireland in 2015.

Mr Irwin started the festival 11 years ago and it has grown from being a one-day show with 300 entries to a two-and-a-half-day show with 1,600 entries.

He said that next year he has plans for it to run over the full three days and the total prize fund will be around £16,000.

The show is held just over the border in the Republic of Ireland at Cavan Equestrian Centre in Latt.

“My phone has not stopped ringing — so many people are excited,” he said.

Grandstand Media — which runs HOYS — has not yet released its full list of qualifiers for next year’s show.

A Grandstand Media spokesman told H&H on 26 November that qualifiers are usually finalised by the end of the year.

Ref: H&H 10 December, 2015

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Vets and charities fear that Northern Ireland has insufficient numbers of animal welfare officers to police new laws that come into force this spring.

The part of the Welfare of Animals Act 2011. that protects companion animals comes into Northern Irish law on 2 April.

“There will be just five officers to cover 26 councils and an area the size of Yorkshire,” said David Wilson of the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA).

“DARD [the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development] regards horses as companion animals and has washed its hands of them with this legislation, putting the responsibility on local councils.”

There is just one equine welfare organisation in Northern Ireland – Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary. It has experienced a 150% rise in calls in two years.

Mr Wilson added: “It’s an untried system. We hope it will not backfire and the problem be dumped on charities.”

Two years ago, the UK’s Equine Health and Welfare Review Group described horse welfare as being at breaking point in the province.

In March 2011, three horses were found dead and 48 others in squalid conditions at a farm in North Antrim.

Another 60 were removed from an Antrim farm in November 2011, 23 of which went to Redwings, based in Norfolk.

Redwings’ Nic de Brauwere, who is chairman of the UK’s National Equine Welfare Council, said: “We endorse DARD’s moves to improve welfare in the region.

“But councils are concerned there will not be enough money for them to do their job effectively. They must be able to do so.”

And Ben Mayes, president of the British Equine Veterinary Association, said: “This puts Northern Irish welfare on an equal footing with the rest of country, but it must be policed.”

A spokesman for DARD said: “Councils have had 12 months to prepare for their enforcement role.

“At this stage, they have decided to recruit five inspectors. This will be kept under review.”

He said DARD has set aside £760,000 for 2011-12, rising by £20,000 each year until 2014.

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (9 February 2012)

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Police are investigating the discovery of nine dead and 60 emaciated horses and ponies on a farm in Northern Ireland, echoing the Spindles Farm case in 2008.

The animals were found on a farm in Co Antrim on 22 November. They had been left without food or water and were standing knee-deep excrement.

Vets say the scene was reminiscent of those in 2008 when more than 100 horses, donkeys and ponies were removed from a farm in Bucks.

Vet Nic de Brauwere of Redwings was part of the rescue at the farm. He said the conditions were “as bad as anything he had seen in 20 years working in horse welfare“.

“It was imperative that action was taken to protect the horses, ponies and donkeys from further suffering,” he added.

The Donkey Sanctuary also stepped in to help.

Allen Andrews of the Donkey Sanctuary said: “It was clear that these animals had been severely neglected and the surviving horses and donkeys were the most emaciated I have ever seen.

Only time will tell whether these desperate animals will be able to recover fully.”

All 10 donkeys were taken to the Donkey Sanctuary’s Northern Ireland centre and the other animals to the Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary in Ballynoe.

Sergeant Alison Liddle from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: “No animal should be made to endure such horrendous cruelty.

This has made us determined to pursue the persons responsible.”

This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (8 December)

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Hunting will not be banned in Northern Ireland, members of the assembly government have agreed.

Northern Ireland’s only Green Party member of the legislative assembly (MLA) Brian Wilson introduced a private members bill on 16 November, calling for an end to hunting with dogs in the province.

But MLAs voted against it at the second reading on 16 December and hunting can continue in Northern Ireland as it does in the Republic.

Countryside Alliance chief executive Alice Barnard said: “The Assembly has sent a strong and clear message to Westminster — the Hunting Act is a bad law and they do not want to repeat the mistake.”

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Four horses have been killed after being hit by a car in Northern Ireland last weekend.

The accident happened at 6.40am on Sunday, 1 February in Newry.

A police spokesman told H&H: “We arrived to find the horses galloping down the road.

“They were then were hit by a white BMW. Two people were hurt during the accident, but their injuries are not life-threatening.”

The horses were euthanased at the roadside after being hit by a car.

The spokesman also confirmed this afternoon the horses were not microchipped and that the owners have not yet been traced.

There have previously been complaints about stray horses in the area.

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Two horses have died in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, after they were involved in a collision with a lorry.

The accident happened on the Old Coach Road in Templepatrick at 6am today (10 December).

Police say four loose horses were in the road. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.

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