Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon is to facilitate the establishment of a horse slaughter facility, following the closure of Ireland’s only licensed horse abbatoir in Straffan, Co Kildare, last year.

Shannonside Foods was at the centre of an RTÉ exposé, which exposed multiple animal welfare breaches and allegations of horse identity fraud in its lairage – despite being part of an abbatoir licensed by the Minister’s Department of Agriculture.

Now, the Minister is undertaking to create a new horse slaughter facility that will “give a very high level of assurance in relation to the welfare of horses” through the use of CCTV and oversight of assembly centres supplying horses for slaughter.

The Minister, in an action plan launched on Thursday 23 March to accompany a report by Professor Patrick Wall into horse traceability in Ireland, has said he will “investigate” grant aid for the new slaughter plant.

Mandatory genotyping

The action plan will also see the introduction of mandatory genotyping of all foals and a national gene database for equines in Ireland.

This will form the basis of any future DNA sampling programme to verify origin of horses presented for slaughter or export for slaughter.

Professor Wall’s report proposed 13 reforms and 30 recommendations to improve equine traceability system. The resulting action plan has five major objectives:

  • 1. Ensure owner accountability through better traceability.
  • 2. Stricter enforcement of equine identification and registration legislation.

  • 3. Highest level of protection for horses at end of life.

  • 4. Maximising the benefits of scientific and technology innovation.

  • 5. Strong communication and influence.

    • More to follow.