Just Five Complaints Reported Since 2018 About Horse Welfare In Straffan, None About "Beatings", Says Department Of Agriculture

Thursday, 20 June 2024 11:25

By Martin Osborne

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".