Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate Deputy Cronin raising this important issue. I am taking this issue on behalf of my colleague the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. As I said to Deputy Murphy, the footage broadcasted last week showing incidents of animal cruelty was extremely upsetting and the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, shares the reaction of viewers and the wider public who were appalled and upset by such a blatant disregard for the welfare of horses. The vast majority of people who care for horses will have been horrified by these scenes and it is important to stress that what we saw was potentially criminal behaviour by a number of individuals. As I have said, the Department of agriculture has commenced an investigation into these matters with the support of An Garda Síochána. While it is vital to ensure this process continues without prejudice, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, states categorically that the full rigour of the law will be applied and no stone will be left unturned.

In terms of immediate actions taken by the Department, on 14 June the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, issued a notice to the slaughter plant concerned revoking its approval for the slaughter of equines. The revocation of the food business approval means that the plant must immediately cease operating as an equine slaughter food business. Furthermore, the Department has placed restrictions on two equine holdings linked to the slaughter plant prohibiting the entry or exit of any animal.

In terms of the Department of agriculture's role and function in relation to the activities at Shannonside, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, would like to clarify the level of controls in place at the various premises involved. The Department supervised the slaughter activities at the approved slaughter facilities at the plant in Straffan in accordance with legal obligations. There was a full-time Department presence at the facility on the days on which slaughter took place, usually one day per week. The food business operator presented the animals he wished to slaughter to departmental staff and a veterinary inspector carried out an ante-mortem inspection of each horse to determine its health and its fitness for slaughter. This was accompanied by a visual identity check of the animals and of the submitted identity document, a check on the animal to identify a microchip, a check on the identification document to ensure it matched the presented animal and the microchip and that the animal was not excluded from the food chain, and a check against the central equine database as further verification as to identity and eligibility. Following slaughter, the carcass was subject to post-mortem veterinary inspection and, where necessary, in line with the random national residue control plan, samples were taken to check for medicinal residues.

The building on the holding adjacent to the approved slaughter plant, where the majority of the footage was filmed, does not form part of the approved slaughter plant. It is not the lairage of the approved plant and is not subject to direct veterinary supervision under the relevant food and feed hygiene regulations which govern the operation of slaughter plants. The Department does not have a permanent presence on equine holdings, however under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 an authorised officer may enter and inspect any land or premises where animals are present. All persons keeping horses are required to have an equine premises registration number. This particular holding was subject to an inspection by officers of the Department in 2023, at which time no welfare concerns were identified.

The activities shown last week, as they related to potential interference with the traceability of horses, extended to matters allegedly taking place in other member states. It is clear that a collective effort across the European Union, among member states and the Commission, is required to strengthen the system. The Department is committed to assisting in this process.

The Department of agriculture has an important role in protection of animal welfare and it takes its responsibilities very seriously. The welfare of equines is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action is taken where breaches or shortcomings are identified. The Department has 200 authorised officers in every county. There have been 167 prosecutions taken under the Animal Health and Welfare Act since it entered into law and a number of investigations are progressing. The welfare of equines is further supported by the Department through its provision of funding to a number of horse projects nationwide. The Department also recognises that effective traceability is essential for the protection of equine welfare and public health. I have said much of this to Deputy Murphy.

See this speech in context