Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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161. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that an additional fee, on top of the microchip and passport fee, has been imposed on organisations and persons involved in the rescue of stray horses from council or Department pounds; the rationale behind the imposition of this fee; his views that this increased cost will make it unsustainable for organisations to rehouse horses in the longer term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5875/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Control of Horses Act, 1996 sets down the powers available to local authorities for the control and welfare of horses in the local authorities’ functional area. My Department provides financial support to local authorities to assist their work in implementing the Act. In 2013 my Department provided funding to local authorities amounting to €3.054 m.

The Deputy will be aware of the increased number of horses being seized throughout the country by local authorities under the Control of Horse’s Act and the burden this imposes on the national exchequer. My Department is concerned to ensure that scarce resources are managed in an efficient manner and in this context, a protocol agreed in 2012 between my Department and local authorities set down the requirements as to how local authorities apply the Act in their respective areas with a view to achieving greater uniformity as well as, of course, savings and efficiencies in implementation of the Act. It is important that Local authorities make every effort to recoup the costs involved and this includes horses being re-homed by individuals and/or animal welfare bodies. In this context, my Department has informed the Local Authorities that, in the event that full costs are not recoverable from persons/groups re-homing horses, the maximum contribution payable from my Department with effect from 1 January 2014, in respect of horses and equines that are re-homed is €200 per horse and €125 for equines other than horses.

I welcome the fact that local authorities are engaged in tendering joint initiatives for services under the Act, as this should lead to substantial savings being made.

I should emphasise that I have allocated ex gratia funding of €1.8m to assist animal welfare organisations in their activities in 2014 and I specifically increased funding to those organisations involved in horse welfare activities to ensure that they have sufficient resources to enable them cater for any difficulties arising in the area of horse welfare over the coming year. This increased funding should enable welfare bodies absorb some costs associated with re-homing horses.