Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Feb 1960

Vol. 179 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Export of Horses for Slaughter.

12.

Mr. M.J. O'Higgins

asked the Taoiseach if he will state to the 31st December or nearest convenient date in respect of each of the last ten years (a) the total number and (b) the total value of live horses exported to the Continent for slaughter.

Donnchadh Ó Briain

The particulars requested by the Deputy are not available, since exporters are obliged to state in respect of live horses only whether they are (a) permanently exported, (b) temporarily exported or (c) returned after temporary import. Information as to the subsequent disposal of the animals, which may not be available to the exporters, is not asked for.

Bearing generally on the Deputy's question, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a statement showing the number and value of horses permanently exported to Great Britain, to the Six Counties and to the principal continental European countries in each of the years 1950 to 1958 and in the period 1st January to 30th November, 1959, the latest date for which these figures are at present available. Exports of bloodstock horses and other horses are distinguished separately in the statement for 1957 and later periods but this distinction cannot be made for periods prior to 1957.

Following is the statement:—

NUMBER AND VALUE OF HORSES (INCLUDING PONIES) PERMANENTLY EXPORTED TO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN EACH YEAR 1950 TO 1958 AND IN THE PERIOD 1st JANUARY TO 30th NOVEMBER, 1959.

Country of Destination	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	January-November, 1959
Bloodstock	Other	Total	Bloodstock	Other	Total	Bloodstock	Other	Total
Continental Europe:
Belgium	Number	3,249	9,159	11,710	5,707	11,794	16,646	13,481	17	10,922	10,939	26	5,532	5,558	2	2,298	2,300
	Value (£)	88,563	336,553	504,436	218,282	496,345	744,279	671,983	5,409	598,741	604,150	5,957	289,094	295,051	350	116,613	116,963
France	Number	4,812	10,396	7,107	23	4	35	1,482	49	1,859	1,908	54	1,387	1,441	31	6,766	6,797
	Value (£)	189,005	573,132	396,175	50,325	3,450	155,550	278,275	43,360	109,044	152,404	62,900	84,961	147,861	26,317	322,740	349,057
Netherlands	Number	557	158	17	30	81	328	778	9	558	567	8	68	76	8	95	103
	Value (£)	22,260	8,733	652	1,646	3,115	14,510	37,305	1,578	29,086	30,664	1,598	3,539	5,137	1,756	4,663	6,419
Switzerland	Number	74	35	204	87	36	88	80	157	35	192	63	22	85	40	45	85
	Value (£)	8,151	3,561	16,187	9,596	7,452	11,434	12,479	24,083	3,340	27,423	13,146	2,782	15,928	6,221	1958	8,179
Italy	Number	38	10	66	23	30	18	60	45	119	164	40	37	77	31	28	59
	Value (£)	6,244	4,700	4,045	5,531	6,325	3,310	6,969	9,370	7,942	17,312	7,977	3,644	11,621	22,432	2,312	24,744
Other	Number	12	29	28	15	37	95	50	66	3	69	23	10	33	31	7	38
	Value (£)	3,393	7,794	5,169	7,000	14,393	17,123	9,966	19,050	222	19,272	8,707	3,945	12,652	13,395	910	14,305
Total Continental Europe:
	Number	8,742	19,787	19,132	5,885	11,982	17,210	15,931	343	13,496	13,839	214	7,056	7,270	143	9,239	9,382
	Value (£)	317,616	934,453	926,664	292,389	531,080	946,206	1,016,977	102,850	748,375	851,225	100,285	387,965	88,250	70,471	449,196	519,667
Great Britain	Number	10,646	12,609	10,525	6,822	5,578	4,505	4,642	1,818	2,304	4,122	1,821	1,786	3,607	1,553	2,082	3,635
	Value (£)	2,350,887	2,245,277	2,194,361	2,122,788	1,886,891	2,033,760	1,939,513	1,861,479	176,928	2,038,407	2,062,415	158,528	2,220,943	1,946,643	213,003	2,159,646
The Six Counties	Number	2,834	3,130	3,122	4,091	2,681	3,008	5,149	131	4,075	4,206	96	3,651	3,747	114	3,708	3,822
	Value (£)	105,817	99,204	125,486	124,105	94,968	99,624	147,880	31,982	114,535	146,517	23,980	113,965	137,945	31,591	121,730	153,321
Total Europe	Number	22,222	35,526	32,779	16,798	20,241	24,723	25,722	2,292	19,875	22,167	2,131	12,493	14,624	1,810	15,029	16,839
	Value (£)	2,774,320	3,278,934	3,246,511	2,539,282	2,512,939	3,079,590	3,104,370	1,996,311	1,039,838	3,036,149	2,18,680	660,458	2,847,138	2,048,705	783,929	2,832,634