AQW 53070/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the number of deprivation orders that have been granted since 2016.

Asked by Eóin Tennyson MLA on 25 September 2026

  • Answered
  • Written
  • Priority
Tabled
25 September 2026
Answer due by
30 September 2026
Answered
30 September 20265 days after tabling
Department
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Priority question
Yes

Answer

Departmental records indicate that, between 1 January 2016 and 29 September 2026, eight deprivation orders were granted by the courts in cases involving farmed animals and recorded by the Department. The annual breakdown is set out below:

YearNumber of deprivation orders
20162
20170
20180
20191
20201
20210
20220
20230
20241
20251
2026 to date2

These historic figures should be read with caution. Enforcement case files, which would normally contain copies of deprivation orders, are retained for seven years only. Some older records are therefore no longer available for cross-checking. Figures for earlier years have been collated from other available datasets, which may not capture every deprivation order granted during the period. The total of eight therefore represents the best information available from departmental records in relation to cases involving farmed animals.

Official sources