Written answer
Departmental Data
The equine checker now verifies animal and premises registrations in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with usage rising 41% year-on-year to over 92,000 hits.
381. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the online portal launched in July 2023 which allows members of the public to check whether an equine is recorded on the central equine database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [75040/26]
Comment on this
The online equine chip checker can be found at: https://equine-chipcheck.apps.services.agriculture.gov.ie/ and is an important tool in strengthening equine identification, traceability and transparency across the sector.
This portal allows members of the public to check whether an equine UELN (passport number) or an equine microchip number is valid and listed on the central equine database, empowering horse owners, purchasers and others involved in the industry to satisfy themselves that an animal is appropriately identified and registered.
Since July of this year, the portal has been further enhanced to allow users to verify the validity of an equine premises registration number (EPRN), which is mandatory for premises keeping equines in Ireland, or an Equine Establishment Number (EEN) which is mandatory for premises in Northern Ireland. This new functionality represents an important step forward in promoting greater transparency and accountability, enabling individuals to verify not only the registration status of an animal but also that of the premises where it is being kept or traded from.
The growing use of the portal is encouraging with over 92,000 hits on the website up to the end of September this year, representing a 41% increase on the corresponding period in 2025. I am hopeful that this growth in engagement indicates an increasing awareness across the sector of the value of carrying out basic checks to ensure that both the animals they are acquiring and the premises they are dealing with are appropriately registered. In this way, the portal supports a culture of greater individual responsibility and compliance across the industry.
The extension of the portal to include EENs is a tangible example of the close cooperation between my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland (DAERA). Given the integrated nature of the Irish equine industry, it is important that our respective systems operate in a complementary manner where possible.