Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses slaughtered at Irish meat plants for each year over the past five years; if he will confirm the destination of this horse meat from each plant and if it was destined for the human food chain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5106/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All slaughterhouses whose meat is destined for human consumption require approval under EU food safety regulations, generally referred to as the 'Hygiene Package'. These are implemented in Ireland under the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009, S.I. No 432 of 2009. Approval to operate may be granted either by the relevant local authority or by my Department. The onus of compliance with EU food safety regulation rests in the first instance with food business operators. This is subject to a series of official controls, which are the responsibility of the competent authorities in the Member State concerned.

The number of horses slaughtered in plants approved by my Department in each of the years since 2008 was as follows:

2008 – 2,002;

2009 – 3,220;

2010 – 7,296;

2011 – 12,575;

2012 – 11,402.

I understand from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland that the following numbers of horses were slaughtered in local authority approved slaughter plants:

2008 – 44*;

2009 – 1,027;

2010 – 2,494;

2011 – 4,985;

2012 – 12,960.

(* Included in miscellaneous category, total 44)

Under EU single market rules, meat products from EU approved plants can be traded freely within the Community. I understand that the bulk of the horse meat produced here is destined for customers in Belgium, France and Italy.