Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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538. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what was involved in the invitation process in the lead up to the Dublin Castle animal welfare conference held on 16 May 2014; the way his Department selected requests to attend; the reason hunting organisations were invited while other animal welfare groups were not invited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26096/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A wide cross section of individuals was invited to attend the conference, including some members of animal rights groups. A member of National Animal Rights Association was invited to the conference but chose not to attend, while the President of Irish Council Against Blood Sports was in attendance. Delegates from the Hunting Association of Ireland were also in attendance.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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539. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the latest incident which occurred in Tipperary town involving a pony being abandoned after it was driven into a heavy wooden fence while participating in a Sulky race; if his attention has been drawn to the excessive speeds at which these ponies are driven often by children as young as ten years on Ireland's busy roads, and that the horses being too young end up enduring serious damage to their underdeveloped joints and ligaments during a race; if he is aware of the risks these races are placing on those animals, children and other road users; if he will prioritise this animal welfare and public health issue ensuring that local authorities carry out their obligations under the Control of Horses Act (1996); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26097/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the matter to which the Deputy refers is being investigated by An Garda Síochána and the investigation is ongoing.

Like all activities on the public road, sulky racing is governed by the Road Traffic Acts and imposes an obligation pursuant to these acts on the person engaged in this activity to drive their vehicles with due care for other road users and not to indulge in dangerous driving of the vehicles. Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, Local Authorities have powers to create exclusion areas in bye-laws prohibiting persons from having a horse in an area except for bona fide reasons and this could extend to horses used in sulky racing. The newly commenced Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provide options where horse welfare problems, or potential horse welfare problems, are observed.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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540. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure there are sufficient strict regulations that coursing will not take place in weather conditions that are adverse and difficult for the animals in question, hares and greyhounds; and if so that coursing events will be cancelled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24286/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon, which is the statutory body with responsibility for the improvement and development of the greyhound industry, greyhound racing and coursing.

The ICC has confirmed that it has systems in place to underpin the welfare of animals participating in coursing events. These include mandatory inspections of hares and coursing venues in advance of the commencement of an event. Greyhounds involved in coursing are subject to the provisions of the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 and the Code of Practice for the care and welfare of greyhounds, published by Bord na gCon.

The ICC has assured the Department that it goes to great lengths to ensure the highest standards are adhered to during coursing. The ICC's rules and regulations (Rule 106) accommodate the postponement of meetings if the weather is unfavourable i.e. snowfall, frost or waterlogged ground, which may affect the welfare of both greyhound and hare.

The ICC has demonstrated its willingness to cancel / postpone meetings in the face of adverse weather conditions, For example, one coursing meeting was cancelled on 23 November 2013 due to heavy frost, and this would be a routine practice for all clubs affiliated to the ICC. Also meetings were postponed over the Christmas (2013) period due to other unfavourable weather conditions. During extreme weather conditions, it is also the practice of clubs to provide additional food for hares living on hare preserves protected by coursing clubs.

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, under the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012, has responsibility for the issuing of an annual licence to the ICC and its affiliated clubs to capture live hares. These licences currently have a total of 26 conditions attached to them. The conditions of these licences cover a range of items, including veterinary supervision at coursing meetings and a number of requirements attaching to the welfare of hares.

The ICC ensures that a veterinary surgeon and a control steward are present at all coursing meetings. In addition to this, veterinary staff from my Department and rangers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (part of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) carry out random inspections during the coursing season to monitor compliance with the licences and the rules governing animal welfare.

As a further control, a Coursing Monitoring Committee was established during the 1993/94 coursing season and comprises officials from my Department and representatives from both the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the ICC who monitor developments in coursing. In that regard the situation is kept under constant review to ensure that coursing is run in a well controlled and responsible manner in with the welfare of hares and greyhounds alike in mind.

A very high proportion (99.4%) of the hares captured for hare coursing were returned to the wild at the end of the 2013/2014 season .

The systems that are in place are, in my view, effective and are working well.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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541. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on any initiatives with regard to dealing with abandoned horses and the excessive numbers that are destroyed. [26101/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Horse owners have a duty to ensure the welfare of horses in their ownership and/or their care and to dispose of them appropriately. On a regulatory level, local authorities have responsibility under the Control of Horses Act, 1996 for dealing with straying and abandoned horses. My Department makes a contribution to local authority towards implementation of the Act and in this regard local authorities were paid over €3m in 2013 to assist with horses and to support their efforts towards re-homing of horses found abandoned. My Department also assists animal rescue/welfare organisations in their work in horse welfare activities. These organisations involved in horse welfare had their ex-gratia funding significantly increased in respect of 2014.

I have also indicated that my Department will also work on initiatives to assist horse welfare including facilitating stallion castration programmes in an effort to reduce indiscriminate breeding and unwanted foal births. Assistance can also be provided to local authorities for urban/traveller horse projects which promote horse welfare through provision of training programmes in horse management and welfare.

New regulations on transfer of ownership of horses, which come into effect on 1 July next, combined with the new regulations on equine identification, will improve the ability of the various state agencies to trace ownership of horses. The regulations place obligations on both the person transferring ownership and the person to whom ownership is transferred to maintain up to date ownership records.

My Department will continue to work with other Departments and other relevant agencies, including animal welfare groups in an effort to ensure that the welfare of animals is protected and the new Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. I am confident that the new Act, along with the recent legislation on the registration of equine premises, equine identification and transfer of ownership will help to reduce abandonment of horses and facilitate a more effective implementation of horse welfare legislation.