Ms Maddie Doyle:

The carriage horse Act dates back to 1853, which is quite a long time ago. As a result of that, Dublin City Council and other local authorities currently do not have any powers to regulate or license carriage operators and horse-drawn carriages. As a rescue working on the ground, we know from the calls we receive there have been and still remain big welfare and safety concerns around the carriages that are operating within the Dublin city area.

We know councils and the Garda have taken steps to either withdraw carriages that are deemed unsafe or seize animals that seem to be welfare compromised. The councils cannot do anything under any legislation at the moment. They have no power at all. It seems absolutely ludicrous that we are relying on legislation that dates back to 1853.