John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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656. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the development of a high welfare end of life equine facility in conjunction with equine breeders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56910/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Facilitating the establishment of a new equine slaughter facility is an action under my plan to give effect to the recommendations of the Wall Report to improve equine welfare and traceability. Two Notifications of Intent have been submitted to operate as an equine slaughter premises, one of which has passed this initial stage. The next stage is the submission of a formal application. My Department awaits the submission of the formal application.

The re-opening of an equine plant is just one element of my plan to ensure the protection of horses at end of life. I have made improving equine traceability a priority for my Department as we know that gaps in traceability leave horses vulnerable to neglect and abuse throughout their lives. Until we have a robust equine traceability system that links horses to their accountable operator, horses will remain vulnerable.

To this end, I am pleased that a new central equine database linking horses to their accountable operator is scheduled to launch shortly.

Ensuring horses are protected at all stages of life will involve a combination of initiatives and my action plan reflects this approach where different actions support the overall objective.