Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

829. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce measures to regulate the use of animal drawn vehicles and the practice of sulky racing; if he envisages that any such measures would completely ban sulky racing on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8134/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Sulky racing, and the use of sulkies on public roads in general, are part of a wider issue of the regulation of the use of animal-drawn vehicles on our roads. As it stands, legislation governing traffic and parking relates primarily to mechanically propelled vehicles. I will examine the issue of animal-drawn vehicles in the context of the next Road Traffic Bill which I will introduce this year. The practice of the holding of unauthorised sulky races on public roads which are open to traffic is dangerous and the whole area needs to be regulated.

We already have procedures in which public roads can be closed to normal traffic for a period of time to allow for races, including marathons, cycle races and motorcycle races. The Department is not proposing a complete ban on sulky races on public roads, but wants a new system where sulky racing can only be conducted in a way which is safe to the participants and to the public, and humane to the animals involved. This would ensure that it would only be possible to hold properly approved sulky races on public roads when these conditions have been and where the road has been closed temporarily to normal traffic with the approval of the Garda Síochána.