Councillor wants to put abandoned horses in the food chain

Cllr Kevin Boxer Moran has called for a nationwide cull of abandoned horses and for their meat to be entered in the food chain, after the county veterinary officer Seán Ó Laoide said that last year alone, 4,000 “nuisance horses” were euthanised in Ireland.

In Westmeath, 365 abandoned horses were impounded by Westmeath County Council in a dedicated horse pound in Mullingar from 2010 to date, and for 171 of those, outside contractors had to be brought in to assist in their capture due to the dangerous nature of the animal, many of which had never come into human contact before and were essentially wild.

The findings were presented at a meeting of the Environment and Water Services SPC in the council chambers yesterday, Monday September 22.

Many of these wild horses are left on dumping grounds or on impenetrable ground beside motorways, according to Mr Ó Laoide, who outlined that between 2007 and 2009, during the boom years, just 19 horses were impounded by Westmeath County Council. However, in 2010, the number grew to 25; to 64 in 2011; 109 in 2012; 110 in 2013; and 57 so far this year.

“This is a major issue,” said Cllr Boxer Moran, “Why can’t they test if the have been given medicine, and if they haven’t, they should be allowed into the food chain to get some value out of them.

“Is it not in our interest to write to the minister to bring in the culling of horses? The money we’re spending on this,” he continued. “Could we not put it forward to Westmeath County Council to write a letter to the minister on these nuisance horses, which are dangerous. Something has to be done,” he insisted.

His motion was seconded by Cllr Frank McDermott.

Mr Ó Laoide said that putting horse meat into the food chain is not allowed by law in Ireland, which likes to promote the notion “that we are number one for food safety”.

He added that in the countries where the horse meat scandal was prominent there has been a rise in horse meat sales as opposed to a fall: “It is cheaper than beef,” said Mr Ó Laoide.

“The minister doesn’t want to be associated with the culling of horses,” continued the county veterinary officer, adding that organisations like Horse Sport Ireland were against a national cull as they feel it would reflect badly on the sporting industry.

“There were 4,000 horses taken out by local authorities last year, so there is a cull going on of sorts but it is not official,” said Mr Ó Laoide who explained that the Mullingar Horse Pound can only retain abandoned horses for five days before they are put down.