Ireland currently has no approved equine slaughter premises, and since May this year, applicants for approval must undergo a new “Fit and Proper Person” assessment before any licence can be granted.
The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that two separate 'Notification of Intent' applications to establish new horse slaughter plants have been submitted - though neither has yet progressed to formal approval stage.
Ireland currently has no approved equine slaughter premises, and since May this year, applicants for approval must undergo a new “Fit and Proper Person” assessment before any licence can be granted.
Minister for Agriculture and Kildare South TD Martin Heydon said the process for any meat business involves two stages - an initial notification of intent, followed by a full application once site inspections and documentation checks are complete.
Last year animal welfare abuses were exposed at Ireland’s only licensed equine abattoir, Shannonside Foods Ltd in Straffan, revealing significant gaps in CCTV coverage at the plant and highlighted regulatory blind spots.
In 2023, around 2,000 horses were slaughtered at the Straffan facility - about two-thirds of them bred for racing.
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