Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy said locals living near the plant were complaining about conditions for a long time.
Should there not have been rigorous oversight of the equine abattoir in Straffan, especially considering there is only one in the country?
That's the question being asked by Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy at a public accounts committee meeting currently underway.
Deputy Murphy said locals living near the plant were complaining about conditions for a long time.
She said the Department of Agriculture is the regulator and should have been more thorough in investigating reports.
In response, Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer with the Department, Michael Sheahan, said the department received five complaints since 2018 and that there were no complaints about the slaughter house.
He said the complaints were about lame horses, thin horses and not about horses being beaten.
"We have done plenty of soul searching," he said.
The Department of Agriculture will not reveal where horses are being relocated following the suspension of activity at a plant run by Shannonside Foods in Straffan.
In a statement to Kfm, a spokesperson for the Department said they "cannot provide any further detailed comment, as matters are subject to active investigation".
Kfm Weekend Obituary Notices
Two Men Charged In Connection With €4 Million Cocaine Seizure In Kildare And Wexford
Driving Testers At RSA Balloted For Industrial Action Over Concerns About Uninsured Vehicles
Homes Undelivered After Substantial Deposits Paid, Kildare Council Warns Of Potential Unauthorised Works
Over 1,000 E-Scooter Fines Issued As Kildare TD Calls For Tougher Penalties After Child Injured
Celbridge "Affordable" Homes Come With Council Equity Stakes
M4 Access Road To Castletown Will Reopen Next Week
Lucan Woman Pleads Guilty To Sending Threatening Messages To Tanaiste
