Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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In a Dáil debate on 13 December 1977, the late Mick Lipper, a Deputy from Limerick, raised the issue of wandering horses in Limerick and asked what actions the then Minister for Justice would take regarding serious problems created by them. Here we are, 47 years later, talking about the same problems.

At least 1,431 wandering or stray horses have been collected in Limerick city since 2015. Unfortunately, most seized before 2019 ended up being euthanised. Horses collected since then have been rehomed by horse welfare charities, putting huge pressure on them. This matter is a waste of Garda and council resources, as well as time and money. From a response I received from the Department of agriculture to a previous parliamentary question, I am aware the Department has contributed millions to local authorities in respect of activities regarding the control of horses.

The keeping of ponies and horses has long been a tradition in many parts of my home city, Limerick. It is a tradition that has been passed down through generations of families, and in a number of cases the animals are well maintained and cared for. However, we can no longer ignore the fact that there are many who misuse and abuse the animals. They have a lack of compassion and do not understand, know or care about how to treat these beautiful creatures. Many have no tradition whatsoever of keeping horses, and in recent years it has been quite noticeable that a number of young people with very little or no experience of horses simply cannot work with or look after them properly at all.

Recently, I met experienced horse owners in Limerick and heard they are embarrassed about and utterly fed up with the state of so many horses and the poor way in which so many of them are cared for. In recent weeks, we have seen carcasses of dead horses in areas across the city. Some horses are often left in a distressed or abandoned state. I was recently made aware of children who could not go to school as there was a horse in their front garden. Can you imagine your child not being able to go to school because of such a blockade outside your home?

The failure to address this issue over the years must end. It is simply unfair on the animals, local communities who witness the abuse and neglect regularly, and animal welfare organisations and their volunteers. It is unfair to see the destruction of green areas, public spaces and community facilities. It is also unfair, pretty disgusting and not acceptable in 2025 to see horse manure on city streets, roads, footpaths and green areas. It is like something you would have seen in Victorian times.

This year, nearly 50 years after Mr. Lipper's remarks, must be the one in which the issue is finally tackled, properly challenged and addressed. It is shameful that the situation has been allowed to continue for decades. I have never seen it so bad. Last Friday, in the space of 90 minutes in three local areas in Limerick, I saw more than 50 horses on public land and in the gardens of vacant council-owned properties. We are now approaching foaling season and this will only get worse. In some cases the authorities have been met with threats of violence when attempting to seize abused animals. This is not fair or proportionate, but it is what happens when the law is not applied year after year and the result of the Department not doing its job properly.

The problem in now a major one in some of our towns and cities. Interestingly, the problem is largely associated with working-class areas of Limerick, Cork and Dublin. If the horses were wandering around Montenotte in Cork, Foxrock in Dublin or the North Circular Road in my city, Limerick, I suspect there would have been a different response. The law should apply equally, regardless of the value of the homes in an area. I would like to see more Garda enforcement to address illegal sulky racing on our streets. Animal welfare remains a big issue across urban and rural areas. As I have said, 1,431 horses have been seized in Limerick since 2015, and unfortunately many of those have been euthanised. There has been much documentation on disgraceful abuse of and cruelty to horses, both within Limerick and farther afield. We need better enforcement of animal welfare laws and more support for animal welfare groups.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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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.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response and understanding of the issue. He did not get to it in his speech, but I am glad he mentioned the ongoing project in Moyross, which does good work in that area. However, it is only a drop in the ocean in dealing with the issue.

Wandering, unkept and uncared-for horses have been a plague on working-class areas of Limerick for decades, as I said. I mentioned the late former Deputy Mick Lipper, who raised this issue as far back as 1977. Regretfully, despite additional legislation, not much has changed in Limerick, especially in the city area. In fact, it has got much worse. If you travel through many estates in Limerick, you will almost certainly encounter horses, ponies or Shetland ponies. While this has often been the case, there seems to be an increase in the number of such animals, especially in recent months. We need to deal with this issue once and for all.

I recognise that some of the horses are well cared for and securely tied but, unfortunately, many others are allowed to roam and graze freely. In each of these scenarios, it is public land that is being misused, depriving local residents of their facilities. It is local green areas that are being trampled on. Often, it is local sports fields being turned to muck and local footpaths and roads that are covered in horse shite. Since Christmas, a number of horses have been abandoned and left to die and rot in city estates. This has a terrible impact. It is a heartbreaking sight for anyone, especially children, to see outside their own front door where they live.

We must ask why horse owners abandon these animals rather than have them assessed by a vet. There are two answers. It is cheaper to purchase a new horse; a new one can be got in Limerick for €20 or €30 to replace the animal. The other reason is the failure to enforce chipping legislation. My understanding is nobody has been prosecuted for not having a chipped horse. In response to a parliamentary question I previously received from the Department, I was advised that no prosecutions have taken place for failing to have a horse chipped in the State. Why does that happen? Why do we have legislation if we do not enforce it? Why do we allow so many in our communities to operate with impunity and to destroy our public lands and roadways? Why do we allow these unregistered animals on our roads?

I welcome the fact the Control of Horses Act is under review. I hope it will lead to a more robust response to the issue of mistreated and malnourished horses destroying public land and urban estates.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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From 2015 to date, the Department has spent more than €2 million on urban horse projects. Last year, €6 million in funding went to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country under the animal welfare grant programme. Of that figure, just over €3.4 million was awarded to charities involved in the care and welfare of horses.

On a personal level, I will say that the Deputy has done a great service to the people of Limerick in raising this. It is not just today that he has done so. He has been in continuous contact with the Department about this matter on behalf of his constituents. He is a very strong person on this. I recognise that, as does the Minister, Deputy Heydon. We should do everything we can collectively to put our shoulders to the wheel to try to stop this horrible practice. When I was a young person starting out, every day my day's work involved working with a horse by the name of Billy, so the Deputy will appreciate how I feel about this very important matter. I see some of the absolute horrific cruelty that horses have to endure. The Deputy is correct in what he said. It is upsetting for everybody, especially young people, to see animals being mistreated in this way. It is horrible beyond belief. The Minister and the Department will do everything they can.

As can be seen from the statistics, enough funding is going through. The charitable organisations are doing their work, but at the end of the day it is very hard to legislate for other people's behaviour. This whole acceptance by certain people that they can do whatever they like because it is only an animal is what we have to get away from. A horse is to be treated in the kindest possible way. Horses are beautiful animals and to see this happening on our streets and in our urban areas, or any area, is totally wrong. The Deputy is doing a great service for the people by raising this most important matter. I thank him for doing so in a sound, solid way.