There has been "a lot of soul-searching" in the Department of Agriculture since last week's RTE Investigates programme which exposed serious equine welfare issues at Ireland's only licensed horse abattoir.

The Shannonside Foods Ltd plant in Straffan, Co Kildare, which was heavily featured in the RTE report, has since been shut down by the Department and on Thursday a senior official from the Department appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to answer questions on the matter.