Editorial: Cruelty to animals must be punished
Ireland presents itself to the world an image of a green, agriculture-based and horse-loving nation, but the shocking revelations broadcast by RTÉ Investigates last week, which caused significant reputational damage, showed a country where animal cruelty is more prevalent and tolerated than acknowledged.
Several developments must now flow from the programme, which was a credit to the national broadcaster and public service broadcasting in general.
At a minimum, the Department of Agriculture must conduct frequent inspections of all slaughtering facilities and inspection reports must be published in full.
Department officials moved in on the plant concerned three weeks ago while RTÉ was preparing to air its shocking secret footage of terrified horses whipped and punched as they awaited slaughter at the country’s only abattoir licensed to slaughter horses.
This newspaper today reveals that the agriculture minister has shut down operations at the slaughterhouse at the centre of horrific abuses, pending an investigation. A legal notice has been served on the plant, detaining the carcasses of 65 horses slaughtered in the abattoir on June 5, which means they cannot go into the food chain.
Late last month, the department issued a legal notice effectively prohibiting horses from being kept in the holding premises where much of the distressing footage was filmed.
The RTÉ report showed evidence of illegal activities to disguise the identities of horses and compromise the integrity of the human food chain at a site connected to the abattoir. It also showed undercover footage in which horses were re-microchipped.
Significant issues around how horses are processed for human consumption through slaughterhouses in mainland Europe were also detailed. Some had been given new identities in other European countries, and there were others that had been declared dead in Ireland before they were actually exported.
The material compiled during the research raises issues beyond Ireland and highlights significant concerns related to other EU member states. These latest revelations follow a food industry scandal in parts of Europe in 2013 in which foods advertised as containing beef were found to contain undeclared or improperly declared horse meat — as much as 100pc of the meat content in some cases.
Back then, investigations by the Food Safety Authority resulted in Ireland being the first EU state to report the presence of horse meat in beef and make the results public.
Investigations are now under way across Europe into suspicions of illegal slaughtering and traceability defects among hundreds of horses killed for human consumption on foot of evidence uncovered. The department says its officials were entitled to inspect the building at the centre of the investigation under animal health and welfare legislation, which raises an obvious question: Why was this facility not thoroughly inspected?
The department must disclose what its veterinary inspectors observed at the abattoir.
There is an onus on all horse owners — whether of recreational ponies or thoroughbreds — to take responsibility for animals, but it is the department’s function to license those responsible for slaughtering animals, and it is up to the department to put a robust system in place to ensure horses are killed humanely.
Just as the Criminal Assets Bureau drew together unique agencies to crack down on criminal earnings, crimes against animals deserve a dedicated multi-disciplinary agency, including gardaí.
Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan's exclusive take on the day's news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.