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Horse Slaughter Statistics

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Questions (987, 990)

Denis Naughten

Question:

987. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to provide an outlet for horses surplus to the horse industry; if consideration has been given to introducing a testing regime similar to that employed for imported horsemeat from the US bound for human consumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34961/13]

View answer

Denis Naughten

Question:

990. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to provide an outlet for horses surplus to the horse industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35084/13]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 987 and 990 together.

Horses can be slaughtered for human consumption subject to a number of conditions, including that they have been registered within six months of birth or by 31 December of the year of birth whichever is the later, have not have been treated with any prohibited veterinary medicines and are accompanied to the slaughterhouse by the horse passport. This latter requirement is an essential part of the food-chain information under EU food law.

With regard to horses that can no longer fulfil the purpose for which they were bred, my Department supports the option of humane disposal where an owner can no longer adequately provide for the animal as such action will help prevent the emergence of long-term animal welfare problems. As a further support for dealing with potential surplus horses, my officials have sought the EU Commission opinion on the possible use of horsemeat in petfood. Such an initiative could help to provide an outlet for horses which are not eligible for the food chain, thereby encouraging owners to dispose of unwanted horses. In addition, my Department provides funding to Local Authorities under the Control of Horses Act, 1996, to enable these bodies implement their wide ranging powers relating to the control and welfare of stray or abandoned horses. The Local authorities are humanely disposing of a considerable number of these horses under these arrangements on an ongoing basis.

On the question of implementing a testing regime similar to that employed for imported horsemeat from the US bound for human consumption, the position is that there is no direct importation of horsemeat into the EU from the USA. The slaughter of horses for human consumption within the US ceased in 2006. I understand, however, that live horses are exported from the US for slaughter in both Canada and Mexico. Some of this meat is then exported to the EU. The regulations relating to the import of meat from third countries are set at EU rather than at domestic level and are outlined in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004. The third country of dispatch, together with the individual establishment from which the product is dispatched, must be on an approved list and these lists are published on the EU Commission’s website. There is also a requirement that imports of meat are only allowed from countries with an approved residue monitoring plan.

Equine carcases are regularly sampled as part of the National Residue Control Plan and testing is carried out for a wide range of substances including veterinary medicines. Additional tests were carried out this spring under an EU Commission sponsored testing programme for phenylbutazone (commonly known as "bute"). These found 16 positives from 3,115 tests carried out across the EU. In Ireland, of the 840 tests carried out by my Department under this programme, just one was positive. Testing for "bute" and other substances continues at horse abattoirs in Ireland. The frequency of testing is determined using a risk-based approach.

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