Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has put her finger on it. I am not absolving myself of blame but the fact that so many Acts date back so far makes the matter much more complicated, obscure and also very time consuming, especially when there are several items of legislation involved.

Animal welfare is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine. I am not passing the buck but I will make sure he knows of the content of this debate. The Control of Horses Act 1996 provides powers to local authorities to designate, using by-laws, control areas within which horses are required to be licensed and where minimum standards are set for keeping horses. In this regard, DCC has designated its administrative area as such a control area under the Control of Horses Bye-Laws 2014, the enforcement of which is a matter for the council. The council's responsibilities and experience in horse licensing and welfare matters is one reason why we have concluded that the council is the best place to regulate horse-drawn carriages for hire or reward in Dublin.

In the context of animal welfare more generally, the Control of Horses Act 1996 gives powers to members of An Garda Síochána to seize and detain horses and to require veterinary inspections. Under animal health legislation, the Garda also has powers of arrest in respect of incidents of animal cruelty.

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