Mr. Eoin Cullen:

In regard to the neutering and the spaying, with the likes of War Celeste, she was chipped and we were able to identify who the previous owners were. Initially when one contacts people like that they say that she was sold on. In accordance with the legislation when a horse or any animal is sold the passport needs to be changed into the new owner's details but it does not happen all the time depending on whether or not the buyers intend to sell the animal on again. If they do not, depending on their purposes, not everybody changes the details of the passport and this is where the details tend to get lost.

War Celeste went to a couple of different auctions and was bought on. The person who bought her had no interest in looking after her. She was left with 11 others in stables. We had another incident where seven thoroughbreds were found in a wooded area in Naas. When the chip was scanned it was to a very well-known owner. However there is no way of proving that he put them there because he said he had moved them on a long time ago. They just seem to change hands. They can end up in urban areas in Dublin, Limerick and Cork. They can end up anywhere. It is a difficult one because there needs to be enforcement at the time of sale to say one must change the passport details now, today, because when they buy them they are just told they need to change it within a certain amount of time.