Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I sincerely thank Deputy Quinlivan for raising this most important matter on the floor of the Dáil. Given that it is most important, the people of Limerick will rightly be grateful to him. I know about the matter at first hand because I have family members living in the city and am there a lot. What is going on is a disgrace. The Deputy is so correct to have done what he has done here today. While he has highlighted that what I would call blackguarding of the worst type is going on, he has also recognised that there are responsible horse owners. There are people who adore their horses and who want to mind and cherish them. The horses are like family members. The Deputy made a very clear distinction in that there are people who do not know the first thing about horses or animal welfare. What is going on is disgraceful.

I apologise on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Martin Heydon, who could not be here but who is also very anxious about this issue because of the simple fact that addressing it is so important.

Neglecting or causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is totally unacceptable in our society. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is fully committed to the ongoing promotion and enforcement of high animal welfare standards. The Department continues to enforce the law in this important area and works very closely with An Garda Síochána, the customs service, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, brought all farmed and companion animals, including leisure, sport and working animals, under a single legislative framework. The Act provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare. Since the Act of 2013 came into operation, in March 2014, 181 individuals have been successfully prosecuted, but that is not half enough.

There have to be more prosecutions. This horrible practice has to be stopped. The programme for Government is very strong on this. It provides a commitment to prioritise equine welfare and build on existing inspectors' reports throughout the country, ensuring a consistent approach to dealing with horse welfare.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously and responds to any reports of alleged animal cruelty or legislative non-compliance. Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, local authorities may take a range of actions on equines, including the prohibition of horses in certain areas, the issuing of licences and the seizure of horses that are in contravention of the Act. These powers can be used in respect of straying horses, which includes horses put on land without the owner's permission, including public land. Local authorities may also prosecute offenders. The Department of agriculture provides funding to local authorities as a contribution towards the costs incurred by them in operating the Control of Horses Act 1996.

The number of unwanted horses being seized by local authorities reached a peak in 2014 and has declined significantly since then. All legislation in the Department of agriculture is kept under constant review, including the Control of Horses Act 1996, which is currently under review. Plans for replacement legislation are advancing. The aim of this replacement legislation is to simplify and clarify procedures in the Act in respect of the seizure and disposal of horses. The Department of agriculture undertook a stakeholders' consultation in 2023 on the control of horses legislation, with submissions sought by November 2023. Four submissions were received, which will feed into the legislative process.

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