Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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441. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide clarity in relation to the discrepancies found in the figures provided by him in relation to thoroughbred slaughter figures in Ireland; if he will confirm the reason for the difference in the figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41266/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department maintains the central equine database which records the registration details of all equines issued with a passport by approved Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) in Ireland. It further records the registration details of equines resident in the country but issued with a passport by approved PIOs outside the State. The date of movement of horses to approved slaughter plants is recorded on the central database as these movements occur. The database is constantly updated and these updates explain the minor discrepancy of 1, between the 2022 figure of 1,050 provided in the response of January 31st and the figure of 1,051 provided on March 29th, 2023.

The more significant disparity in the figures provided for thoroughbreds slaughtered in 2020, 2021 and 2022 in the response to a parliamentary question on 11th September 2023 is because the report used to answer that question inadvertently did not take account of thoroughbred animals identified in countries outside of Ireland and the UK that were slaughtered at DAFM-approved plants in those years.

The table below clarifies the figures provided and the response to the PQ of 11th September will be updated to reflect the correct position.