Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of money spent in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013 in reimbursing local authorities for the removal of horses; the amount per horse paid to each authority; the reason for the difference in the rates; the number of horses removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50304/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding under the Control of Horses Act, 1996 to assist local authorities with expenses incurred by them in implementing the provisions of the Act. The Act empowers the local authorities to deal with stray or wandering horses. The amount of funding provided by my Department varies between local authorities because of a range of factors, including the number of horses being impounded, the number of horses being reclaimed by owners (which provides a revenue stream for local authorities) and the resources such as pound facilities available to the local authorities to deal with stray/abandoned horses.

The table below, which is based on the information provided to me by local authorities sets out details of amounts paid to Local Authorities in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013 in their operation of the Control of Horses Act.