Senator Victor Boyhan, who is a member of the Seanad Agricultural Panel, has called for a debate in both the Dáil and the Seanad about Prof. Paddy Wall's report on Ireland’s horse traceability system, which was published yesterday (Thursday, March 20).

The senator also wants a discussion on the primary role and responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in the Shannonside Foods case which was highlighted by the RTÉ Investigates programme.

Prof. Wall, who is a veterinarian, a medical doctor, knowledgeable in the equine sector and a food safety expert, was commissioned by DAFM to carry out a root and branch review of Ireland's equine traceability system.

It followed the broadcast of the RTÉ Investigates documentary last June highlighting issues with equine traceability.

Commenting on the report yesterday, Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Martin Heydon, said: “Professor Wall has presented an excellent report calling for impactful reform of our equine identification system.

"I look forward to acting on these proposals so that we can ensure the horrific scenes broadcast in last June’s documentary can never happen again.”

The report proposes a series of recommendations to strengthen equine identification, traceability and welfare which are centred on achieving four key objectives:

ensuring the highest level of protection for horses at end of life
ensuring owner accountability through better traceability
stricter enforcement of the law on equine identification
making best use of science and technology to deliver better traceability and food safety

Grant aid and oversight for a new equine slaughter facility;
Make the central database the authoritative source of horse data in Ireland;
Annual equine census be fully integrated with the central equine database managed by DAFM;
Both sellers and buyers should be required to report transfers of ownership to the central database;
Mandatory reporting of horse movements and location changes – Equine Premises Number (EPN);
Strengthen oversight and compliance for equine exports;
All imported horses be scanned at the point of entry, with their microchip numbers, destination EPN, and owner details uploaded to the central database;
Strengthen reporting requirements for knackeries;
Mobile app should be developed to facilitate real-time updates;
QR code should be included on equine passports;
DNA typing should be adopted as a mandatory requirement for all horses eligible for slaughter.