Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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490. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is currently a facility in the State licensed to slaughter equines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53406/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Currently there is no facility in the State approved to slaughter equines. My Department is committed to the establishment of an equine slaughter facility. Approval to operate as an equine slaughter premises, similar to all meat food business operator applications, is a two-stage process. The first step is the submission of a Notification of Intent. If all of the documentation is correct, and the site is deemed suitable, then the process moves to the second stage with the submission of a formal application.

Two Notifications of Intent have been submitted. One party has passed this initial stage. My Department awaits the submission of the formal application.