Written answers

Thursday, 14 July 2022

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Control of Horses

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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889. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses seized under the Control of Horses Act 1996 in each of the past five years in tabular form. [39255/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Control of Horses Act 1996 provides powers to local authorities enabling them to control stray and wandering horses in their geographical areas.  Enforcement of the Act is a matter for each local authority.

Section 15 of the Act provides that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine may make grants towards the expenses of a local authority incurred under the Act.  Based on the claims for financial support submitted to the Department by the local authorities, the figures below detail the number of equines seized in each of the last five years.

2017: 1,603

2018: 1,460

2019: 1,050

2020: 819

2021: 477

Photo of Thomas GouldThomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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890. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding provided to Cork City Council for the control of horses in each of the past five years in tabular form. [39280/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Control of Horses (COH) Act 1996 (the Act) provides powers to local authorities, enabling them to control stray and wandering horses in their geographical areas. Enforcement of  the Act is a matter for the relevant local authority, in this case Cork City Council. In line with the Act, My Department provides funding to the council as a contribution towards the costs incurred by them in operation of the COH Act. 

Funding provided to Cork City Council by my Department in this regard over the last five years may be summarised as follows:

2017: €11,950.00

2018: €14,200.00

2019: €4,675.00

2020: €2,375.00

2021: €4,975.00

2022 to date: €1,550.00

The Programme for Government places a positive emphasis on animal welfare and specifically commits to the continued robust enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. This Act provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare. My Department enforces this legislation, and has addressed a number of welfare issues in recent years in both Cork City and County, working closely with An Garda Síochána and authorised officers from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and local authority officials.

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