Last week’s report by leading vet, medical doctor and food safety expert, Professor Patrick Wall, has highlighted serious flaws in Ireland’s equine identification and traceability system, calling for urgent reforms to protect horse welfare and improve accountability.
Commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) following last year’s RTÉ Investigates exposé, the report titled, ‘Reforms to Strengthen Equine Identification, Traceability, and Welfare’ identifies major weaknesses in how horses are registered, bought, sold and killed in Ireland.
These gaps, Wall argues, leave many animals vulnerable to mistreatment and complicates efforts to hold owners accountable.
One of the report’s key findings is the lack of regulated horse slaughter facilities, of which there are currently none.
Professor Wall said: “There is a pressing need for a well-regulated horse slaughter facility in Ireland, where horses that are eligible for the food chain, but have no viable function due to age, injury, behavioural issues, or lack of ability, can be humanely processed.
“The facility must be adequately supervised to comply with all relevant regulations, with permanent CCTV coverage of the lairage and kill box areas to provide further accountability. Any assembly points supplying the facility should require approval and regular inspection by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,” he commented, adding: “Owner confidence in the humane handling of their horses will be crucial to encouraging the use of the proposed equine slaughter facility.”
Failure
Also highlighted in Wall’s report is the failure of many horse owners to properly register their details.
While Irish law requires owners to be listed on equine passports and to update records within 30 days of a sale, this is rarely enforced. The result is a chaotic system where it is often impossible to determine who is responsible for a horse at any given time.
Another major concern is the unclear ownership structures surrounding horses owned by syndicates and companies. In cases where multiple people or businesses share ownership, it is often difficult to establish who is legally accountable for the animal’s welfare. Wall recommends that syndicates and corporate owners be required to designate a single responsible individual to ensure accountability.
Following the publication of the report, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon called on the equine sector to: “commit to real, measurable change if it is going to ensure it is associated in the minds of Irish citizens with feats of speed, skill and athleticism rather than acts of cruelty and carelessness when those animals on whom the sector is built outlive their usefulness.”
He has also pledged Government action to implement its recommendations.
Plan of action
Professor Wall proposes close to 30 recommendations in his report and the Department published an action plan detailing 38 actions it plans to undertake in 2025 and 2026 with the aim of strengthening equine identification, traceability and welfare.
Some of the key recommendations in the report include:
Stronger enforcement of ownership registration laws, ensuring that every horse has a clearly identified and accountable owner.Better oversight of equine transactions, making it easier to track horses throughout their lifetime.The use of modern technology, such as digital passports and DNA testing, to improve traceability.A national strategy for end-of-life care, including humane slaughter options and responsible euthanasia practices.Horse Sport Ireland has endorsed Wall’s findings, calling them essential for safeguarding Ireland’s reputation in the global equine industry.
The organisation has already introduced measures like DNA genotyping and electronic passports to improve traceability.
Professor Wall’s report is a wake-up call for Ireland’s equine sector. Without urgent reform, horses will continue to be at risk.
For horse breeders and owners and those involved in the equine industry, the message is clear: change is coming, and the sector must adapt to ensure the welfare and integrity of Ireland’s horses.
Last week’s report by leading vet, medical doctor and food safety expert, Professor Patrick Wall, has highlighted serious flaws in Ireland’s equine identification and traceability system, calling for urgent reforms to protect horse welfare and improve accountability.
Commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) following last year’s RTÉ Investigates exposé, the report titled, ‘Reforms to Strengthen Equine Identification, Traceability, and Welfare’ identifies major weaknesses in how horses are registered, bought, sold and killed in Ireland.
These gaps, Wall argues, leave many animals vulnerable to mistreatment and complicates efforts to hold owners accountable.
One of the report’s key findings is the lack of regulated horse slaughter facilities, of which there are currently none.
Professor Wall said: “There is a pressing need for a well-regulated horse slaughter facility in Ireland, where horses that are eligible for the food chain, but have no viable function due to age, injury, behavioural issues, or lack of ability, can be humanely processed.
“The facility must be adequately supervised to comply with all relevant regulations, with permanent CCTV coverage of the lairage and kill box areas to provide further accountability. Any assembly points supplying the facility should require approval and regular inspection by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,” he commented, adding: “Owner confidence in the humane handling of their horses will be crucial to encouraging the use of the proposed equine slaughter facility.”
Failure
Also highlighted in Wall’s report is the failure of many horse owners to properly register their details.
While Irish law requires owners to be listed on equine passports and to update records within 30 days of a sale, this is rarely enforced. The result is a chaotic system where it is often impossible to determine who is responsible for a horse at any given time.
Another major concern is the unclear ownership structures surrounding horses owned by syndicates and companies. In cases where multiple people or businesses share ownership, it is often difficult to establish who is legally accountable for the animal’s welfare. Wall recommends that syndicates and corporate owners be required to designate a single responsible individual to ensure accountability.
Following the publication of the report, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon called on the equine sector to: “commit to real, measurable change if it is going to ensure it is associated in the minds of Irish citizens with feats of speed, skill and athleticism rather than acts of cruelty and carelessness when those animals on whom the sector is built outlive their usefulness.”
He has also pledged Government action to implement its recommendations.
Plan of action
Professor Wall proposes close to 30 recommendations in his report and the Department published an action plan detailing 38 actions it plans to undertake in 2025 and 2026 with the aim of strengthening equine identification, traceability and welfare.
Some of the key recommendations in the report include:
Stronger enforcement of ownership registration laws, ensuring that every horse has a clearly identified and accountable owner.Better oversight of equine transactions, making it easier to track horses throughout their lifetime.The use of modern technology, such as digital passports and DNA testing, to improve traceability.A national strategy for end-of-life care, including humane slaughter options and responsible euthanasia practices.Horse Sport Ireland has endorsed Wall’s findings, calling them essential for safeguarding Ireland’s reputation in the global equine industry.
The organisation has already introduced measures like DNA genotyping and electronic passports to improve traceability.
Professor Wall’s report is a wake-up call for Ireland’s equine sector. Without urgent reform, horses will continue to be at risk.
For horse breeders and owners and those involved in the equine industry, the message is clear: change is coming, and the sector must adapt to ensure the welfare and integrity of Ireland’s horses.
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