DAFM are introducing a new Equine Traceability System which will be based on returns from the Equine Census. This year’s Equine Census in Ireland takes place on the night of Saturday the 30th of November 2024.
We have received correspondence regarding this new Equine Traceability System from the Department of Agriculture stating the following:
To improve equine traceability, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is introducing a new equine traceability system.
The new system will be based on equine census returns; it is therefore critically important that all people keeping equines complete a census.
Failure to return a census or, submission of a nil return, will result in an Equine Premises Registration Number (EPRN) being made inactive on the Departments systems which may in future prevent keepers of equines from being able to
- Register foals
- Export horses
- Sell horses.
Where EPRNs are deactivated, those keepers, who intend to keep horses in the future, will have to reapply to their Regional Veterinary Office to reactivate their EPRN.
The 2024 census will be held on the night of Saturday 30th of November 2024.
We will be writing to all registered equine keepers to request the completion of a census return.
For assistance we will list all the equines most recently returned by each keeper, where applicable.
Returns can be submitted by post or online through the Agfood.ie portal and the census letter contains more details.
Further details can be found at gov.ie/equinecensus2024