David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 515: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his plans to deal with the problems of stray horses; his views on implementing measures such as electronic tags or chips to ensure that all horses are identifiable and traceable to their owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9382/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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European Commission Regulation No. 504/2008 set out an improved system for the identification for equidae and is binding on all Member States of the European Union. All keepers of horses, passport issuing bodies and veterinary practitioners are obliged to comply with the provisions of this Regulation. The enhanced system for identifying equidae has three elements (1) an equine passport; (2) a microchip implanted in an equine to create an unequivocal link between the passport and the equine and (3) the assignment of a unique equine life number to the equine in the database of the approved passport issuing organisation. I am satisfied the approved passport issuing organisations are operating in compliance with this Regulation this country.

Regulation 504/2008 requires that all equines must have a passport, foals must be identified in accordance with the Regulation within six months of birth.

Keepers of equines must have passports for their animals in order to be eligible to participate in a wide range of events and activities across the equine sector e.g. thoroughbred breeding and racing, showjumping, competitions, shows, sales and also if certain veterinary medications are to be availed of. Equines cannot be considered for slaughter for human consumption unless they have a passport.

With regard to the issue of stray horses the position is that Local Authorities are empowered under the Control of Horses Act 1996 to deal with problems associated with stray or wandering horses in urban and rural areas. The Act provides for a comprehensive range of measures and enables local authorities to designate control areas, require the licensing of horses within such areas and seize and detain stray and unlicensed horses and to confiscate horses which stray repeatedly. The Act also contains provisions on the identification of horses and criminal liability for permitting or causing a horse to pose a danger to persons or property. The overall objective of the Act is to eliminate the problem caused by straying or wandering horses.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is empowered by the Control of Horses Act to make grants available to a Local Authorities towards expenses they incur in its implementation and in this regard my Department provides funding in the region of €2m per annum to assist Local Authorities in their work in implementing the Act.