Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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I thank all the groups for coming in to us. Probably a year on, it is disappointing that we have not seen any change in the situation. If anything, it has got progressively worse and certainly the feedback we are getting with regard to passports is that the situation has deteriorated significantly. Anecdotally, I am being told by staff in Horse Sport Ireland and also people trying to access passports that there has been a complete breakdown in delivery this year. I think that is borne out by everything that has been said today. HSI got €600,000 in Brexit funding to implement a new passport strategy. We are able to deliver 1 million passports for humans in a year in a much more challenging environment, one in which identification is checked across borders and continents, yet we cannot issue passports for foals in a timely manner.

On the issue of passports for foals, Mr. Fagan might answer this question. There is a legal requirement on anyone selling a foal to have a passport at the sale. My understanding is that at one of the most recent sales, something north of 60 of the foals presented for sale did not have a passport. I have an email from one owner which states he sold his foal to a buyer in the UK and is still awaiting a passport. Does Mr. Fagan have any correspondence from the Department of agriculture advising that sales venues cannot sell foals unless they have a passport?