Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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510. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the details of the centralised equine database; when he expects it to become fully operational; the length of time he believes it will take to for all animals to be registered; the cost implications of the database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22281/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The infrastructure for the central equine database is now in place. The central database can be used to supplement the checks carried out by Department staff in the two premises that slaughter equine animals currently. Aside from the usual Veterinary checks, the passport of an animal presented for slaughter is examined to ensure that it has not been tampered with, that the markings recorded on the passport match the animal and that the animal is eligible for entry to the human food chain.

The central equine database is being developed on the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) system which contains data on cattle, sheep and pigs. AIM is a generic animal identification and movement system and it was possible to adapt the existing facilities to create the equine database and to implement the checks at slaughter plants. The database is being established within the current budgetary allocation for the development and maintenance of the AIM system in addition to some very limited once-off staff costs and the cost of the installation of communication lines and computer hardware equipment at the two slaughterhouses.

The Department requested the Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) to submit an electronic file containing the details of all equine animals registered from 1 January 1980 up to May 2013 for loading onto the central equine database on 4th and 5th May 2013. Arrangements have been put in place to provide for the on-going notification by the PIOs of new equine animal registrations to the database on a nightly basis. There are some technical issues still to be resolved with the data received and a significant amount of additional data is expected over the next few days. Contacts are continuing with the PIOs in order to obtain all the equine animal registration data in the appropriate format at the earliest possible date.