Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his plans to bring forward the Animal Welfare Bill and address the issue of horse welfare given the number of abandoned horses and the pressure this is putting on agencies trying to deal with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46001/10]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will engage with all of the relevant stakeholders to address the issues relating to rising numbers of abandoned horses with a view to developing a short and long term solution to this serious animal welfare problem [46003/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 322 together.

My Department's statutory responsibility extends to the welfare and protection of farmed animals only i.e. animals normally bred or kept for the production of food or for use in or for the purpose of farming. With regard to animal welfare legislation, the Government has approved for drafting the Animal Health and Welfare Bill which gives effect to commitments in the Programmes for Government, including the updating of existing animal health and welfare legislation to ensure that the welfare of all animals, including non-farmed animals, is properly protected and penalties for offenders are increased significantly. The Bill will include provisions for powers of intervention where an animal is deemed to be at risk as well as addressing such issues as the prevention of unnecessary suffering of animals and abandonment of animals.

I am aware from ongoing communications between officials of my Department and representatives of Local Authorities, the Horse Industry and Animal Welfare Organisations that the risk of abandonment of horses is continuing. The evidence indicates that horses are usually abandoned on waste lands/public roads etc and in such circumstances they become a matter for Local Authorities to address under the Control of Horses Act 1996. This Act contains a comprehensive range of measures to deal with problems including the abandonment of horses and it assigns to Local Authorities the primary role for dealing with such matters. The Act contains provisions for seizure and detention of stray horses, the confiscation of horses which stray repeatedly and the disposal of seized horses.

I should point out that my Department provides some €2million per annum to Local Authorities to assist them in implementing the Control of Horses Act and officials of my Department are continuing to liaise with Local Authority representatives in an effort to bring greater efficiencies to the implementation of the Act.

My officials continue to work closely with stakeholders through the auspices of the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) and its Equine Welfare Liaison Group. Earlier this year I published the advice of FAWAC which recommended to owners that, in circumstances where they can no longer provide for their horse, they should be proactive in seeking to dispose of the animal before its welfare is compromised, including the option of humane disposal. Such action will help prevent the emergence of long-term and severe animal welfare problems.

In terms of future policy on dealing with the problem of abandoned horses, my Department is currently finalising legislation on identification of horses which requires that all horses be micro-chipped and have a valid passport issued from an approved stud-book or horse passport issuing agency. Officials are also consulting with the horse industry on the development of a system to notify and record the transfer of ownership between individuals where the animal is transferred on a permanent basis, which, I believe will provide for greater protection of horses given their relative longevity and potential for multiple transfer of ownership. Officials of my Department have also impressed upon the horse industry itself the importance of its role in the area of horse welfare. I have recently received and am studying the response from the main players in the horse industry to the report published by UCD earlier this year on threats to horse welfare.