Operations at Co Kildare horse abattoir ‘fully suspended’

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that it has “fully suspended” the operation of the Shannonside Foods plant in Co Kildare.

Serious animal welfare abuses and cruelty have been uncovered in the treatment of horses being sent for slaughter at Ireland’s only licensed equine abattoir.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture said all carcases presented for slaughter at the facility in Straffan last week have been detained following the issuing of a legal notice.

It also confirmed that no animals have entered the food chain from the Shannonside Foods plant in the past three weeks.

An investigation into activities involving the supply of equines for slaughter is in progress in the wake of an exposé by RTÉ Investigates.

Illegal activities to launder the identities of horses and compromise the integrity of the human food chain were uncovered at a site connected to the abattoir for horses.

The department said “assistance and support” have been provided from An Garda Síochána as part of this investigation, which “remains active and ongoing”.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine said his department is “actively investigating the absolutely abhorrent mistreatment of animals and suspected criminality we witnessed” on the RTÉ Investigates programme, which aired this week.

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Charlie McConalogue said the investigation is being “done with the full support of An Garda Síochána”.

“This is an active investigation, and while it is vitally important that I ensure that process continues without prejudice, I am stating categorically that the full rigour of the law will be applied where warranted, and no stone left unturned, the minister said.

Mr McConalogue said that while he cannot comment in detail on the investigation, he confirmed that a number of actions have now been taken.

“No animals have entered the food chain from this slaughter plant in the past three weeks, all carcases that were presented for slaughter last week are detained and the operation of the plant is now fully suspended,” he said.