THE second annual Equine Census will take place on Wednesday night (November 30th) the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed to The Irish Field today (Monday).

Census forms are expected to arrive with the approximately 29,000 registered equine keepers on Tuesday, November 29th.

A press spokesperson from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said this afternoon (Monday): "While paper returns will be accepted for Census 2022, the Department strongly encourages keepers to submit their 2022 census data online through the dedicated ‘Equine Census 2022’ portal on agfood.ie using their dedicated username and password. A step-by-step guide to completing the census online is provided with the census form. Keepers should be aware that the Department has introduced a dual authentication process for accessing the 2022 online census portal to further protect their data.

"When using the 2022 census portal for the first time, keepers will be asked to nominate a mobile phone number to which a new specific six-digit code will be texted each time they wish to access the site. Keepers are asked to ensure that the number they nominate relates to a phone that they will have ongoing access to when logging on to the portal in the future.

"The census portal has been updated since 2021 to allow keepers to submit 2022 data more easily. Keepers who submitted a 2021 census return can choose to access this information to use it as a base for their 2022 return. This removes the need to re-enter the 15-digit passport numbers (UELNs) of equines that are already recorded on the Department’s systems and that remain on the premises. Keepers with large numbers of equines, even where these are kept across a number of different premises, can chose a bulk upload option (submission of a spreadsheet) on agfood.ie

"Such keepers should refer to the Department’s FAQ sections which will be available on both the online portal and on the DAFM website. The FAQs should answer the majority of questions that all keepers may have and these will be updated on an ongoing basis, as required. Where keepers require further information or help, they can contact the Department by email at equinecensus2022@agriculture.gov.ie or by phone at 01-5058881," concluded the Department spokesperson.