Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

757. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of compliance notices issued in respect of the failure of owners to chip their horses since January 2013, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53134/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

All EU and national legislation relevant to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is enforced by a large team of authorised officers assigned to specific geographic locations across by DAFM's Regional Office network. These officers work closely with their counterparts in the Local Authorities and other Government Departments and agencies.

Compliance notices are issued, as deemed appropriate, by individual officers across the country on a case-by-case basis depending on the specific circumstances involved. DAFM does not maintain a central database of compliance notices issued by authorised officers or of the specific legislation referred to in those notices.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

758. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of prosecutions in respect of the failure of owners to chip their horses since January 2013, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53135/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Enforcement of equine identification legislation is largely undertaken by authorised officers across the Regional Offices of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine who liaise with authorised officers in the Local Authorities and other organisations as required.

The Department's policy is to adopt a fair and proportional approach in dealing with breaches of equine identification legislation. In this regard, authorised officers engage with keepers to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and where potential breaches of the legislation are identified, they generally provide an opportunity for non-compliant keepers to rectify the position within a specified timeframe.

There have been no prosecutions since January 2013 with regard to the failure of owners to microchip their horses.