The Department of Agriculture and Food has admitted that “huge reputational damage” has been done to Ireland by the “gratuitous violence” meted out to horses at the State’s only licensed equine abattoir.
A Prime Time investigation broadcast on RTÉ One in recent weeks examined the Irish and European horse industries, uncovering the mistreatment of horses that are being sent for slaughter at a site operated by Shannonside Foods in Straffan, Co Kildare.
The programme revealed scenes of animal cruelty and evidence of identity falsification of horses with microchips and fake passports.
The Department of Agriculture said a full investigation has been under way for a number of weeks, while An Garda Síochána is also investigating.
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Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Food, Horse Sport Ireland, and Horse Racing Ireland appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to answer questions on the scandal on Wednesday.
Committee chairman Jackie Cahill said he laid the blame for the scandal squarely at the door of the Department of Agriculture, which is the regulator for the sector.
“We’re extremely disappointed with what has happened and are laying the blame at the department’s door, because this plant was under the supervision of the department and the job was not done correctly,” he said. “It has done huge reputational damage to us.
“We can’t put the genie back in the bottle. The assurances that we got three years ago have proven to be empty promises. We’re not going to let that continue.”
[ Racing must face up to fundamental issues about managing animals’ lifespansOpens in new window ]
Michael Sheahan, who is responsible for leading veterinary policy in relation to animal welfare at the Department of Agriculture and Food, said he agreed with the chairman.
“I agree with what you’ve said about reputational damage,” he said. “What I said in 2021 I said on the basis that I had been in this plant. It’s a small plant killing a relatively small number of horses.
“What I saw was an operation with horses in relatively good condition coming in. If I hadn’t seen the footage that we saw last week, I wouldn’t have believed this was happening. I’m from a farm. I’ve been working with animals all my life.
“I’ve seen a lot of bad welfare stuff. I’ve never in my life seen what we saw on the programme with regard to the gratuitous violence that was being used on those horses. If it wasn’t got the hidden cameras, I wouldn’t have believed it was possible someone would do that.”
Mr Sheahan said the department was “reflecting” on whether it should have uncovered the practices itself.
“It is understandable that scenes like those broadcast prompt people to question how this happened and whether the department as the regulator should itself have identified such activity,” he said. “This is something we have been reflecting on ourselves.”
Denis Duggan, chief executive of Horse Sport Ireland, said there was “absolutely no place in society for the mistreatment of horses, or any other animals, nor is there for the use of animals for any criminal intent”.
“Both the horrific welfare abuses witnessed in the documentary, and the blatant forging of microchips to match passports, are grotesque abuses of horses and food chain integrity,” he said.
“The offensive practices that we saw in the programme do not in any way reflect the day-to-day reality of the equine sector in Ireland.”
Suzanne Eade, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said the behaviour depicted was “abhorrent” and is “absolutely not the experience of the vast majority of the 30,000 people who make their livelihood every day in the horse racing and breeding industry in Ireland”.
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