IT does feel like Martin Heydon, the current Minister for Agriculture, is making forward-striding meaningful progress in terms of cleaning up the multiple and ongoing loopholes in equine traceability in the country.

Granted, he did come into office six months after the biggest scandal surrounding equine welfare and traceability in recent years and had been left with little choice but to push forward with reforms to get the sector in line with other departments under his remit, like cattle. The new system was first mooted by former Minister Charlie McConalogue at a time when Heydon was Minister of State at the Department.