Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a documentary (details supplied) regarding cruelty to horses; if he will address the following: the lack of traceability for equines, the absence of a record of transfer of ownership, and the lack of enforcement of existing legislation regarding microchipping and passports for horses by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14440/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the documentary referred to by the Deputy. All equines must be identified in accordance with EU and national legislation whereby equines require a passport, a microchip which creates a link between the passport and the animal for all equines issued with a passport after 1 July 2009 for the first time and a unique equine life number which is recorded in the database of the approved passport issuing organisation and on the passport.

All equines must have a passport issued within the calendar year of birth (by 31 December in the year of birth) or within six months of birth, whichever is later. Possession of an unidentified equine is an offence under the legislation. Only equines identified properly, with a valid passport, may be moved and traded legally. A passport must accompany the equine whenever it is moved to events such as shows, sales and to slaughter plants. There is an exception in the case of a "foal at foot" when it is accompanied by the mare.

Equines that have been identified and registered with a Passport Issuing Organisation within the year of birth (or within 6 months of birth) are issued with a passport that may enable the animal to be considered for slaughter for human consumption. Equines intended for slaughter for human consumption must be accompanied to the slaughterhouse by its passport compliant with current veterinary requirements - this requirement is an essential part of the food-chain information required by food law.

Transfer of ownership is not a requirement of EU legislation but is an internal rule of some passport-issuing organisations. There is no central database in Ireland but equines issued with passports are recorded in the database of an approved passport issuing organisation.

Significant efforts have been made to advise horse owners on the legal requirement that all equines must have passports. The enforcement activities used by my Department have contributed to a major improvement in awareness and compliance amongst horse owners in relation to the requirements of the identification legislation. The Department prioritises enforcement activities in relation to equine identification with a focus on slaughter plants, sales venues, ports and airports.

Furthermore my Department provides funding to Local Authorities to enforce the Control of Horses legislation, whereby stray or wandering horses can be seized by the Local Authorities. Feedback from Local Authorities indicates that the population of stray and neglected equines has reduced considerably especially in respect of horses in urban areas.

Finally I would also like to draw the attention of the Deputy to disease control legislation introduced recently which requires locations of premises where equines are kept to be registered with my Department from 1 May 2012.