The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that Ireland’s third annual equine census will take place this Thursday night, November 30, 2023.
Census form began arriving at around 29,000 registered premises across the country this week.
Any person who keeps any equines, which includes horses, ponies, donkeys, mules and zebras, on the designated night is required to complete the form.
The deadline for census forms to be returned to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is Friday, December 15, 2023.
Equine census
The submission of a 2023 equine census forms part of the eligibility criteria for Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS3).
The department said that under the scheme a minimum of three equines must be declared on the equine census on the year preceding application.
Minister McConalogue said that the census will “provide valuable information to the department particularly in the area of disease prevention, but also in addressing public health concerns and in dealing with lost, straying or stolen horses“.
“Accurate information on the equine population will further facilitate more informed decision making processes across the wider equine industry,” he added.
The minister strongly urged keepers to submit their 2023 information online, through the dedicated secure equine census portal on the DAFM website.
However, he added that DAFM will accept paper equine census returns too.
“My department has taken on board feedback received from keepers using the online system over the last two years and we have enhanced the system again in 2023 to further improve this year’s online experience,” he said.
In cases where 2022 data is recorded on the department’s online system, this will be available to keepers to use a base for their 2023 return.
Keepers will be required to record the total number of equines present on their holding on census night.
For those equines that ordinarily reside on the premises, the Unique Equine Life Number (UELN), also known as the passport number, will also be required, as will the approximate date on which each animal moved to the premises.
Where equines are present on a temporary basis such as for training, competition or breeding purposes, the individual UELNs of these equines will not be required.
In these instances, the department only requires the total number of such animals present on the night.