Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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228. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of issues with the production of passports for foals; if steps are being taken to alleviate the backlog that is building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47095/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) operates under the Studbook Services contract awarded in 2023 by this Department, administering studbooks such as the Irish Sport Horse, Irish Draught, Irish Sport Pony, the Irish Cob and the Irish Cob Part Bred.

In 2022, under a national breeding initiative funded by my Department, HSI and other equine breed societies commenced transitioning from micro-satellite (MS) to Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) DNA analysis, aligning with global equine genetics standards. This move involves collecting hair samples from foals and in addition samples from both parents will be required during this transition period to obtain SNP profiles. These profiles will form a reference library and therefore will not require to be repeated in future years.

The move to SNP is advantageous for pedigree and the opportunities for research but it has introduced processing delays. HSI have stated that they are collaborating with Weatherbys Scientific and are addressing this backlog and remain committed to optimising this transition, anticipating process enhancements shortly.