Almost 7,800 horses slaughtered for human consumption in Ireland last year

The number of horses slaughtered in Ireland for human consumption continued to rise last year as almost 7,800 equines ended up on dinner plates in continental Europe.

The number has increased each year since 2015 when 6,033 horses were slaughtered for meat – usually for export to countries such as Italy, Holland and Belgium.

A total of 7,748 horses were culled for human consumption last year. However, this number is considerably lower than it was during the recession.

More than 24,000 unwanted equines were slaughtered for meat in both 2011 and 2012.

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Consumption of horse meat has been growing globally since the 1990s. It is considered a delicacy in parts of Italy, Holland, Switzerland and Belgium, and is also commonly served in China, Russia, Central Asia, Mexico, Argentina and Japan.

New figures showing the number of horses slaughtered for human consumption at facilities approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine were provided by Minister Michael Creed in response to a parliamentary question by Independent TD Mattie McGrath.

They reveal that 64,074 equines have been slaughtered for meat in Ireland since 2012. The annual number fell from a peak of 24,362 that year to 6,033 in 2015, but has since steadily increased.

Mr McGrath asked the Minister whether “the issue” of horses being “stamped out of the food chain” had contributed to an increase in the number of equines that were being seized under the Control of Horses Act 1996.

He said the seizure of horses and ponies that were without correct paperwork was costing €4.5 million a year. Mr Creed replied that regulations were in place to “protect the food chain and public health in ensuring that only those equines eligible for the food chain are slaughtered for human consumption”.