Dublin Zoo has “vehemently disputed” claims of animal welfare concerns raised by a whistleblower to a Labour Senator.

Senator Annie Hoey told the Seanad this morning that she has had meetings with "both former and current staff members of Dublin Zoo" who made claims to her "a number of breaches of freedoms for animals" at the Zoo. The Senator said "the most detailed accounts" of such alleged breaches were recently made to her by a whistleblower via protected disclosure.

"Regarding animal welfare violations in Dublin Zoo I have been told by the whistleblower that there has been serious welfare issues, near misses, safety and management concerns at Dublin Zoo," Senator Hoey told the Seanad.

A spokesman for Dublin Zoo told Dublin Live that they “dispute unfounded allegations of mistreatment of animals and objects in the strongest possible terms to the manner in which these allegations have been made without any engagement with Dublin Zoo. These allegations are wholly misleading and contain inaccurate clinical assessments”

Senator Hoey read to the Seanad from the protected disclosure received by her in which the whistleblower stated as follows: "Because I have exhausted all options with Dublin Zoo grievance procedures, which failed to act on my concerns, I feel I have no option but to expose my experiences of what I have witnessed in the zoo."

Senator Hoey outlined claims made by the whistleblower of welfare concerns in relation to a number of animals, including a female...

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