Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions he will take to deal with the issue of oversupply of horses in the country and with the large number of abandoned horses both in urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53601/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department is keeping the horse welfare situation under review and, in particular, the need for additional welfare measures. However, there is no evidence of a major welfare problem in the horse sector at present due to the relatively high level of horse slaughterings this year and the very good weather well into the Autumn, which has created a very favourable fodder situation.

My Department, in conjunction with the local authorities and the gardaí are adopting a pro-active approach in relation to welfare issues in the horse sector and this has reduced the numbers of abandoned horses throughout the country particularly in urban areas. The Deputy may be aware that, in recent weeks, 82 horses were seized in the Cork city area. While a small number of horses had to be euthanized on welfare grounds, the majority that were seized are being re-homed with the assistance of welfare groups and the remainder were required to be correctly identified in accordance with EU legislation prior to being returned to their owners. Furthermore, last week, my Department engaged with the local authority and An Garda Síochána in a similar proactive manner in County Wicklow.

My Department devotes considerable resources to issues relating to the welfare of animals including horses. To date this year, my Department has paid some €2.5m to the Local Authorities under the Control of Horses Act to enable them to deal with stray and unwanted horses. My Department also provides considerable financial support to animal welfare organisations to assist them in the delivery of animal care and welfare services. In 2012, this funding came to a total of €1,365,000 to some 140 organisations. I plan to make an allocation in respect of 2014 shortly.

In conclusion, I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work with local authorities and gardaí in other areas if similar cases occur and intervention is required. I urge the public to continue to avail of the Animal Welfare Helpline in operation by my Department, to report instances where animal welfare may be compromised on 1850 211 990.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of registered horses in the country at present; the number slaughtered at registered premises during the past five years; the estimated number of unregistered horses in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53602/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is not possible to provide the exact number of registered equines resident in the country at present due to the absence of precise figures for exports and unrecorded deaths in the information provided by the Passport Issuing Organisations to my Department earlier this year, in the context of the establishment of a central data base by the Department.

However, I understand that a study entitled “Economic Contribution of the Sport Horse Industry to the Irish Economy”, commissioned by Horse Sport Ireland and carried out by UCD in 2012, estimated the population of sport horses registered with Passport Issuing Organisations at 124,000. Furthermore, estimates provided by Weatherbys Ireland and Horse Racing Ireland indicate that the number of thoroughbred horses in the breeding sector and in training was 30,000 in 2012. In view of the nature of the issue, it is not possible to provide any reasonable estimate of the number of unregistered horses in the country. The number of horses slaughtered at approved premises in each of the years since 2009 was as follows: