Mr. John Condon:

Horses are currently regulated under the Control of Horses Act 1996, which is being reviewed with a view to amending that legislation. The Control of Dogs Act 1986 has a similar regime for dogs. The difference is that the processes, time limits and notices that must be used are set out in the Control of Dogs Act 1986, which means they are the same in each local authority throughout the State. Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, it is a matter for each local authority to make by-laws. As a result, there are 31 different sets of by-laws and, therefore, 31 different types of law throughout the country. People who carry out a legitimate business in the horse industry but must travel up and down the country as part of that business are subject to different rules, which must be difficult for them to comprehend.