Department was unaware of staff facing prosecutions at time of inspection of horse abattoir

At a recent hearing of the Public Accounts Committee, the department’s deputy chief veterinarian Michael Sheahan said that his impression prior to the story breaking had been that 'standards were very good within this slaughter plant', despite the fact the director of Shannonside John Joe Fitzpatrick had previously been convicted of cruelty to horses in 2012. File picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

The Department of Agriculture has been criticised after it emerged a number of current prosecutions will shortly be heard against people connected to the company which formerly operated Ireland’s only horse abattoir.

Shannonside Foods, which operated the abattoir at Straffan in Co Kildare which has since had its licence suspended, has been the subject of heightened scrutiny for several weeks after RTÉ Investigates detailed alleged animal cruelty at the plant.