New online Equine Microchip Checker

A new online portal is available to allow members of the public to check, in real time, whether an equine is recorded on the central equine database.

The equine chip checker can be found at https://EquineChipCheck. agriculture.gov.ie and allows visitors to check whether an equine UELN (passport number) or an equine microchip number is valid.

Successful searches will return non-personal information including the breed, gender, colour, approximate age and food chain status of the animal, as recorded on the DAFM central equine database.

The portal will assist where an animal is discovered lost or straying as it will provide the details of which Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) the horse is registered with which will enable faster identification of the keeper or owner.

If the equine is not registered, the person checking will be provided with a link to the contact details of all approved PIOs who can be contacted directly for advice on identifying an equine animal.

Checking food-chain status prior to treatment is beneficial to equine welfare as it allows vets to make the most informed decisions on which veterinary medicine to use.

Launching the portal, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. urged all keepers to use the facility to check the status of all equines in their care.