Sinn Féin MLA Áine Murphy has called for an Island-wide register of individuals who have been convicted of animal abuse.

The Fermanagh South Tyrone politician was speaking on a motion surrounding animal cruelty and prohibitions of the keeping of animals at Stormont on Tuesday afternoon when she made the plea.

“Animal welfare is a shared priority across our island. It requires a unified approach to ensure high animal welfare standards and promote North/South cooperation to strengthen enforcement", she told the assembly.

“Whilst we have made significant strides since the passage of the Welfare of Animals Act 2011, it is clear that more work lies ahead. We must continue to advance efforts to ensure that that legislation, along with the penalties that it imposes, acts as a strong deterrent to those who would harm animals.

“In 2021, the former AERA (Agriculture, environment and Rural Affairs) Minister Edwin Poots, working with the then Justice Minister and other key stakeholders, took important steps to explore the creation of an all-island register of individuals convicted of animal abuse.

Miss Murphy said: “That initiative was a recognition of the deep concerns of animal welfare charities regarding those convicted of such heinous and grotesque acts. However, the Minister cited legal and financial challenges, with concerns including compliance with data protection laws and the cost of establishing and maintaining a register.

She added: “In March, the current AERA Minister stated that the creation of an all-island register was "untenable".

Calling for a balanced approach to enforcement, she said: “Protecting animals is a priority, but we must ensure that the system is as robust and effective as possible.

In addition, we need updated data on the number of individuals who re-offend after conviction to fully understand the scale of the issue and ensure that any measures that we implement are necessary and effective in preventing further abuse.

Miss Murphy concluded: “Our commitment to protecting animals must remain steadfast, and I am confident that, with the right actions, we will achieve even greater progress.

"We must continue to advance efforts here and across the island to ensure that legislation acts as a strong deterrent against those who harm animals.”