Ahead of the European Parliament debate and vote on animal transport, the next two weeks are "crucial" to protect the transport and export of live animals, Fianna Fáil MEP and member of the Committee on Animal Transport, Billy Kelleher, has said.

The European Parliament debate and vote is expected to take place in Strasbourg between January 17 and 20.

The MEP said he will start gathering other MEP's signatures to allow himself to table his amendments and to ensure debate and vote on "original and sensible compromises".

Kelleher seeks to form a majority in the parliament during plenary week (which sees all MEPs sit in a full session of the parliament) that is "both pro-animal welfare and pro rural communities".

The report and recommendations from the The European Parliament Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT) will go before MEPs for adoption during the debate.

The ANIT Committee proposed a ban on the transport of pregnant animals in the last third of gestation; a maximum journey time of two hours for unweaned animals over 35 days; and a complete ban for unweaned animals under 35 days.

The proposals were put forward by MEPs from various EU green parties.

Kelleher was the only MEP to vote against the final set of recommendations, since an introduced ban would "simply make it next to impossible to export live animals from Ireland".

The ANIT Committee was established last year to investigate alleged breaches of EU animal welfare rules during transport.