Animal Identification Scheme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 May 2006

Thursday, 18 May 2006

Questions (35)

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

34 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she is taking to ensure that rules governing the insertion of chips into horses are enforced; the number of infractions of this rule which have occurred during each of the past five years; and the number of convictions there have been during each of the past five years of people found guilty of infringing this law. [18883/06]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mary Coughlan)

There is no legislative requirement at EU or national level to microchip horses. While microchipping of equidae is not mandatory some of the studbooks approved by my Department include a requirement in their own internal rules to microchip equidae to protect the integrity of their studbooks.