Agri-Business
Minister Charlie McConalogue said "every appropriate step" is being taken in an investigation into the supply horses for slaughter.
Over half a tonne of horsemeat has been seized in Spain with 41 people arrested for selling potentially dangerous meat, according to Europol.
Europol launched a dedicated project as part of 'Operation Opson IX' to support authorities in combating the sale of illegal horsemeat.
Rural Life
Horses containing "multiple microchips" are believed to be the cause of a wide-scale Garda investigation into horsemeat processing.
Almost 22,000 Irish horses were slaughtered for human consumption abroad over the last three years, according to the department.
Earlier this week, 55-year-old Cypriot, Andronicos Sideras, was convicted of fraud for trying to pass off horsemeat as beef.
A businessman has been found guilty of fraud after trying to pass off horsemeat as beef through his north London-based food company.
A businessman has rejected allegations that he oversaw the mixing of horsemeat with beef at his north London company.
Agri Politics
Europol has said that, today, 66 people have been arrested for trading horsemeat in Europe that is unfit for human consumption.
N.Ireland
Ulster Farmers' Union deputy president believes that the EU should ban the import of all Brazilian meat products with immediate effect.
New rules have been passed in the European Parliament which will help tackle the 'growing phenomenon' of food fraud, an Irish MEP said.
Researchers in the UK have developed a new method for detecting meat fraud which can identify horsemeat in beef or lamb mince.
Beef
Three men have been charged with fraud relating to horsemeat and beef sales following a thorough investigation in the UK.
Food safety MEPs last week informally agreed on draft plans to tighten up official food checks on food from farm to fork.
Horsemeat has been detected in two samples of ground meat in the US by researchers at Chapman University.
The Dutch owner of two meat wholesaling operations, has received a two and half year jail sentence for his part in the Horsegate meat scandal.
