The Department of Agriculture and Food has conceded that Ireland’s reputation has suffered greatly due to the egregious violence inflicted on horses at the only licensed equine slaughterhouse in the state. This follows a Prime Time investigation aired on RTÉ One recently, which delved into the Irish and European horse sectors, unveiling abuse of horses set for slaughter at a facility run by Shannonside Foods in Straffan, Co Kildare.
The exposé brought to light instances of animal mistreatment and misleading practices of horse identity falsification through bogus microchips and passports. The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that extensive investigations have been ongoing for several weeks, while An Garda Síochána is also examining the matter.
Representatives from Horse Sport Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and Food, and Horse Racing Ireland faced the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to address queries regarding the controversy on Wednesday. Committee chair, Jackie Cahill, assigned complete responsibility for the fiasco to the Department of Agriculture, the overseeing body for this segment.
Expressing severe disappointment over the state of affairs, Cahill accused the department of mismanagement, highlighting the massive blow to their reputation. He spoke of unfulfilled promises from three years ago and vowed a resolution to not let this mishap continue unaddressed.
Echoing the chairman’s sentiments, Michael Sheahan, the official at the Department of Agriculture and Food spearheading veterinary policy concerning animal welfare, conceded the disastrous harm to their reputation. He spoke about his disbelief upon viewing the footage of the slaughterhouse, as his previous impression after a personal visit deemed the operation and the condition of horses satisfactory, given his past experience of working with animals.
The shocking maltreatment of horses, as revealed by undercover cameras, was something Mr Sheahan said he had never witnessed before, even in the most severe cases of welfare neglect. He went on to express disbelief that anyone could resort to such brutal violence.
As the supervising department, Mr Sheahan stated that they were contemplating whether they should have discovered these malpractices themselves. He admitted that it’s not a surprise if people wondered how this incident took place and if the department itself should have spotted such conduct. He confirmed that this was a matter of internal reflection.
Denis Duggan, the CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, expressed his uncompromising stance on the subject. He asserted that the brutal treatment of horses or any animals, including using them for criminal purposes, is unacceptable in any society. He denounced the appalling abuses of horses and the manipulation of their microchips to match passports, shown in the documentary, as horrific assaults on both welfare and the integrity of the food chain.
He further noted that the heinous practices observed in the programme are in no way representative of the everyday operations within the equine sector in Ireland.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Suzanne Eade, the head of Horse Racing Ireland. She condemned the actions portrayed as vile, emphasising they do not mirror the experiences of the vast majority of the 30,000 individuals who devote their lives to the horse racing and breeding industry in Ireland.