MLA addresses animal welfare concerns at Stormont

South Down MLA Sinead Bradley, has announced her membership of the newly-formed All Party Group (APG) on Animal Welfare. The inaugural meeting of the APG took place yesterday Thursday 12 November and the meeting also saw the launch of the USPCA Animal Welfare Manifesto – “Addressing the Deficit”.  

The APG on Animal Welfare is the first All Party Group in nearly five years to formally address prevalent animal welfare issues in Northern Ireland and aims to raise the profile of such concerns within the NI Assembly. The USPCA Animal Welfare Manifesto outlines key animal welfare issues in Northern Ireland and sets out where Northern Ireland lags behind GB and ROI in legislating to protect animals from suffering. 

Discussing the APG, Sinead Bradley said, “The establishment of this All Party Group is a really positive moment for animal welfare and I welcome the opportunity myself and fellow members have to highlight key areas for improvement within the current legislation. We have seen many terrible cases of animal abuse brought to our attention in recent months and there is a real urgency for change.” 

The All Party Group aims to foster cross-party discussion on animal welfare and its surrounding issues. By giving more prominence to animal welfare issues within the Assembly and the Executive, the APG hopes to mobilise political commitment to the addressing and improvement of animal welfare in Northern Ireland.  

USPCA Chief Executive Brendan Mullan, said, “We are delighted to see strong support from our MLAs with their membership of the APG as we need immediate action to bridge the gap in our legislation.  Alongside the engagement of our MLAs, there is an incredible appetite for animal welfare improvement in Northern Ireland from the general public. The launch of our Manifesto and the establishment of the Animal Welfare APG marks a really significant milestone for animal welfare and we hope, the beginning of a new era with real change.” 

For more information on the USPCA and the All Party Group please visit WWW.USPCA.CO.UK/CAMPAIGNS