Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will give the Deputy some details from the update I have here. The traceability system continues to be enhanced and centres on our equine database, which was established in May 2013 and is part of our overall animal identification movement database. It records the registration details of all horses with a passport approved through the passport-issuing organisations in the country. It further records the registration of horses resident in the country. There was a commitment in the programme for Government to prioritise equine welfare through a robust traceability system. We carried out the first equine census in November 2021. To date, nearly 12,500 equine owners have submitted a return. These 12,500 returns have been converted to holding profiles, creating a link for the first time between each equine kept in the State on census day and the premises where it is kept. This linking of a horse to its habitual residence will allow the Department to manage animal and public health concerns, as well as lost or straying horses, with greater ease by providing more current details of the responsible keeper when the data are required. The second census will take place on 30 November this year. The Department has put a lot of effort into updating the census portal to make submission of online returns easier. It is the Department's intention to improve the equine e-passport shortly. E-passports have great potential for the real-time monitoring of movements and ownership. There has been work done but there is certainly more work to do here.