Animal Health and Welfare

The ESRI is engaged in a research programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on “the Provision of Animal Health and Veterinary Care Services in Ireland”. The research programme commenced in January 2026, and it is envisaged that it will run for an initial period of 36 months. The research programme comprises several sub-projects and is overseen by a steering committee.  The steering committee is chaired by Joe O’Flaherty, formerly of Animal Health Ireland, and currently chair of the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council.

Initial projects within the research programme include:

• “Barriers to Preventative Herd Health Planning within the Dairy Sector in Ireland and Potential Levers for Change”, which aims to better understand the challenges farmers face on animal health issues (e.g., calf health, mastitis, biosecurity, TB) and what motivates how farmers manage them.
• “Companion Animals” – using a representative survey of households, this project will gather information on the population of companion animals, i.e., animals that live permanently in or around the family home and are kept for companionship, enjoyment, work, or psychological support. This includes dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, reptiles, birds, ornamental fish, etc.  The research will cover topics such as the demand for veterinary care, veterinary and ancillary expenditures, and incidence of dog bites.

If you’d like more information please contact John Curtis (john.curtis@esri.ie 01 863 2111)