FROM reading last week’s Irish Field regarding the stamping out of passports from the food chain, when these mistakes were discovered and brought to the attention of the Horse Board, they just removed the stamp and allowed the horse enter the food chain. The stamp being removed greatly increased the value of the horse as if the horse was not allowed to enter the food chain, what value would it have? It would have no value, only costing money to get rid of them as some horses are not suitable for any other markets. I had four horses that were stamped out of the food chain and hadn’t received any medication, these horses were not suitable for any other market so I ended up selling them for €100 each to a dealer. These four horses would have been worth approximately €500 each in the factory. Who will compensate me for the difference in the money?

Yours etc,

Denis Bracken,

Moate

Co Westmeath

REGARDING the stamping out of horse passports that was identified by Horsecare Ireland, I cannot understand as to how Horse Sport Ireland could just remove or cover up the stamp and allow the animal to enter the human food chain.

How can they justify the statement issued on the same article saying that the status of the horse was not changed it was only the passport? It was a passport issued by Horse Sport Ireland. They had a big stamp on the Medicinal page stating ‘Not Fit for Human Consumption’. Was it not enough to devalue the equine, whether intent or not, without expecting the horse breeders to accept – it was their duty to know, the vets and/or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Yours etc

Liam Ryan,

Doon

Co Limerick

I WOULD like to congratulate Mr John Joe Fitzpatrick from Horsecare Ireland. The question is though how many horse have been stamped out of the food chain incorrectly and how many of these had no value as they were not suitable for any other market? Some of these animals have been dumped on waste ground or in forestry or left to starve and die or collected by the State-paid organisations to be brought back to health for the purpose of costing the taxpayers of Ireland a fortune and not getting rid of the problem.

Yours etc,

Pat Hyland

Abbeyleix

Co Laois

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