Dr. Lynn Hillyer:

I agree with Deputy Fitzmaurice. I think it is needed. In my first week in office, as it were, in 2016 I had a meeting across the road in Kildare Street, to speak to officials about this. It is something that we want. I would not say we have been huffing and puffing. One of the challenges is that horse movement is significant. Horses move a lot more than cattle or sheep in their lives. They can move a dozen times very easily and tracking that is a challenge. Deputy Fitzmaurice is absolutely right; it is not beyond the wit of man and it is something that we need.

In terms of horses in training with licensed trainers, we have a handle on the whereabouts of horses on premises through HRI's database and systems. Where we have a gap is with animals that have not yet entered training and that is where we would like to focus.