Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the contributors here today. When they speak about animal and horse welfare, what is quite provoking is how far the system has failed in terms of its responsibility with regard to cruelty and so forth. My first question is for the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association. In its presentation it mentioned a sizeable decline in the number of small breeders in particular and the effects that is having on the industry, especially the reputational effect when it goes outside the country and so forth. It also mentioned the prize money factor, particularly in England, the decline in the prize money and the effect that was having on the industry. Would it be fair to say the prize money on this island is having an equal effect on breeders in its association?

I commend Ms Sharon Power for her presentation and the tremendous work her organisation is doing from an educational as well as an animal rights point of view. Would most of the young people in her project be from deprived areas or the Traveller community or would it be widespread? I lived on a local authority housing estate for a long part of my life on which there were Traveller families living. Traveller families have a tradition of owning horses and it is my experience that they treat horses as well as they treat members of their own families. There is that connection and relationship.

Is it fair to say most of the cruelty we see is associated with abandoned horses? Horses have been abandoned and abused terribly, as a consequence.

In his presentation Mr. Kelly mentioned traceability and responsibility. I concur that the lack of traceability or identification leads to cruelty because no one is held accountable for it and there are no sanctions. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív mentioned that we should do something similar to what we do with cattle. I concur. Every single calf born is more or less tagged right away and wherever it moves from that date on is known and traceable. We should look to do something similar with horses.

On enforcement and penalties, if we were to have regulations in place, we would also have to have sanctions and penalties. What are the delegates' views on the issue?

Each year money is allocated to Horseracing Ireland, Bord na gCon and so forth. Perhaps we should look at whether some of the money allocated should be made available to those who are doing tremendous work to promote horse welfare.

I would like to hear from all of the delegates on harness racing, in respect of which there seems to be a blockage, which I perceive to be a matter of status. I am reliably told that it is a lucrative as well as a popular form of racing in France and other countries in Europe, Canada and the southern hemisphere. I see many younger members of the Traveller community where I live on the roads and Banna beach with their sulkies. Their horses are well looked after and treated properly.

I again thank the delegates for their presentations which were thought-provoking.