Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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231. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if resources will be increased to local authorities or animal protection authorities to increase efforts to seize horses which are abandoned or left to roam free in housing estates or public green spaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7870/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Control of Horses Act 1996 provides powers to Local Authorities to deal with stray and abandoned horses and for the designation, by each Local Authority via byelaws that are appropriate to the respective functional areas, of control areas in which horses cannot be kept without a licence.  In the context of the Act, a stray horse means a horse apparently wandering at large, lost, abandoned or unaccompanied by any person apparently in charge of it, in a public place or on any premises, including private premises, without the owner's or occupier's consent.  Officials of my Department also regularly assist the Local Authorities and An Garda Síochána in their operations where animals have been welfare compromised.

My Department provides financial assistance towards the expenses incurred by the Local Authorities in operation of the Act, namely in seizing straying horses or horses causing a danger to persons or property.  In this regard funding of €7.48 million  has been provided to local authorities towards costs incurred in seizing stray horses for the period 2013 – 2017.  This funding represents a very substantial support from the Exchequer to Local Authorities, and there are no plans at this juncture to increase funding.  For their part Local Authorities should ensure they are achieving best value possible through public procurement.

Separately, my Department provides funding to local authorities to support facilities for 'urban horse projects' and in educating young people in the care and welfare of horses.  These projects provide many benefits to communities including a reduction in the number of straying animals as is demonstrated by the number of horses seized in 2017 (1,177) compared with the figure for recent previous years  2,128 in 2016 and 2,683 in 2015.

My Department further funds animal welfare bodies to assist in their work in protecting animal welfare of all species including equines.  In this regard, we  provided funding of €2.56 million in December 2017 to 111 animal welfare organisations throughout the country, 31 of these organisations work with equines.  

My Department continues to stress that it is the responsibility of individuals to ensure the welfare of horses in their ownership and/or their care.