Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

They are fair questions. First, with regard to the removal of the issuing agency, there are about seven bodies that can issue equine passports in Ireland. They are in different areas, such as sports horses and warmbloods. Horse Sport Ireland is the main one along with Weatherbys, but there are others in specialist areas. We removed the Irish Cob Society from that approved list because the Department was not happy that the procedures we expect of those organisations would be followed. We are making changes in this area at present because concerns have been expressed and there is anecdotal evidence that passports for horses are too freely available. We now require all the agencies to provide all their data to a centralised database to which the Department will have access, to ensure we know exactly who is issuing what and to whom. That is necessary.

Can I be 100% sure that no horse has a false passport? No, I cannot be 100% sure of that. However, we are putting as many checks in place as possible and if anybody has any evidence of horses with false passports we will follow up on it immediately. When concerns have been expressed, we have followed up on them. In the last two years I have done that personally with my veterinarians. Most recently, when the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals made a series of statements which resulted in understandable concern, on the following day I asked one of my advisers to meet the individual concerned, Mr. Stephen Philpott.

The special investigations unit of my Department has subsequently followed the matter up with Mr. Philpott to establish if he has any proof to back up his accusations. We are determined to ensure that the abandonment of a great many horses by people who can no longer afford to keep them as a result of the recession does not result in any fraudulent or criminal activity. If people have evidence that concerns them, I ask that they bring it forward and we will investigate.

See this speech in context