Abattoir featured in last week's RTE Investigates programme 'now fully suspended' reveals minister

The abattoir in Straffan, County Kildare which featured in Wednesday night's RTE Investigates programme has been closed pending investigation, minister for agriculture Charlie McConalogue has revealed.

There was widespread revulsion at last week's documentary which featured distressing footage at Ireland's only licensed equine abattoir as hidden cameras exposed routine animal welfare abuse at the facility. One of the welfare officers for the business was also seen inserting false identification microchips into horses and using black spray paint to change their colour markings.

The footage centred on the lairage shed where animals are held in the days leading up to their scheduled slaughter and viewers could see horses suffering and being struck with long lengths of plastic piping, while one horse was seen struggling for hours on the floor before an employee attempts to lift it up using a pitchfork.

McConalogue said in the aftermath of the programme that an investigation had been launched in relation to the findings of the documentary by the Department Of Agriculture in conjunction with the Gardai, and the Straffan facility is reported to be closed for business.

In a statement provided to the Sunday Independent, McConalogue said: "No animals have entered the food chain from this slaughter plant in the past three weeks. All carcasses that were presented for slaughter last week are detained. The operation of the plant is now fully suspended."

Horse Racing Ireland said it was "deeply shocked" in a statement following the programme and committed to "actively supporting" any investigation in the aftermath.

Read this next:

Horse Racing Ireland vows to support investigations after RTE programme highlights 'appalling' abuse at equine abattoir 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.