Vegetarianism has become a political battleground, with some members of the Irish population calling for the eradication of meat and dairy in the country.
The debate over whether vegans should eat meat or dairy has come in for much more scrutiny recently after the discovery of a pig farm in Ireland.
The pig farm, on the banks of the Limerick River in Co Mayo, has been the focus of intense scrutiny since a farmer, who was not identified, was found guilty of illegally using animal feed and drugs to slaughter his pigs.
The farm, which has a gross gross animal welfare score of 7.4, was inspected by gardaí and the Garda Síochána, which is the police force for the county.
The man, identified as Richard E. Dickey, admitted to killing at least 11 animals including calves, pigs, geese and rabbits.
A judge ruled last month that the farmer should not be allowed to sell his farm to his neighbours.
In April, Dickey was found not guilty of cruelty to animals and his appeal against the conviction was dropped.
Diccors was convicted of animal cruelty, and his sentence was reduced from 14 years to six months.
In March, a similar conviction was overturned in Dublin city court.
In the UK, the Food Standards Agency says vegetarians have the highest meat and animal welfare standards of any group.
It says meat and poultry, fish and eggs are exempt from strict food hygiene requirements, and dairy is not subject to strict food regulations.
In Scotland, the Scottish Government says it does not restrict vegetarians from eating meat and eggs.
In England, meat and fish and poultry are banned in all schools and some hospitals, and vegans can be fined up to £200 if they do not meet strict food standards.
However, the number of vegetarians has been increasing over the past few years.
A 2013 survey by the British Vegetarian and Vegan Society found that 10% of Britons were vegetarians.
In 2014, the Vegan Society also found that a quarter of British vegetarians believed it was better for vegans to have meat-free diets, up from 14% in 2013.
In Ireland, however, the Government’s focus has shifted from banning meat and cheese to restricting vegans’ access to food.
The Government is planning to introduce a ban on vegans purchasing meat and veg, but the ban is not expected to go into effect until 2017.
In recent years, the government has been cracking down on the sale of dairy products, restricting the availability of eggs, beef and pork and banning the use of processed meat.