Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1085. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department is taking to address the issue of unchipped horses wandering in urban settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1005/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The extent of straying equines has reduced significantly and consistently in recent years. Almost 5,000 horses were seized in 2014, reducing to 288 in the period January - September 2024, with figures for 2024 due to be finalised in the first quarter of 2025.

Where equine animals are located, including straying animals, my Department’s policy is to adopt a fair and proportionate approach. Authorised officers engage with keepers to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and where potential breaches of the legislation are identified, they generally provide an opportunity for non-compliant keepers to rectify the position within a specified time frame before issuing a compliance notice where necessary.

The Control of Horses Act is currently under review within my Department. My Department undertook a limited stakeholder consultation in late 2023 which will feed into the legislative process.

I am fully committed to supporting sustainable initiatives in line with the Programme for Government and Working Together for Animal Welfare, Ireland's Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025 and I continue to support urban horse projects nationwide. These projects can foster community leadership and education in responsible horse ownership for young people from disadvantaged communities or backgrounds. There are currently eight live projects and in October 2023, my Department hosted a seminar dedicated to the promotion of the urban horse projects.

In November 2024, I announced the allocation of €6 million in funding to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country, under the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. Of that figure, just over €3.4 million was awarded to charities involved in the care and welfare of horses.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1086. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the online portal launched in July 2023 which allows members of the public to check whether an equine is recorded on the central equine database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1006/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The online equine chip checker can be found at:

equine-chipcheck.apps.services.agriculture.gov.ie/

This portal allows members of the public to check whether an equine UELN (passport number) or an equine microchip number is valid and listed on the central equine database. All equines habitually resident in Ireland should appear on the chipchecker. Successful searches will return non-personal information including the breed, gender, colour, approximate age, and food chain status of the animal.

The portal can assist where an animal is discovered lost or straying as it will provide the details of which Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) the horse is registered with which will enable faster identification of the keeper or owner.

The portal is also crucial in the assessment of equines presented for export. Only those horses whose food chain status on their passport matches the food chain status on the chipchecker are certified for export. Ensuring that equine ID documents contain the most accurate and up to date information is essential to protecting the food chain. The portal can also be accessed by competent authorities in other jurisdictions who might wish to confirm the food chain status of a horse.

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1087. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding provided to Limerick City and County Council for the control of horses in each of the years 2019 to 2024, in tabular form. [1007/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The funding provided to Limerick City and Council by my Department in support of the control of horses in each of the years 2019 to 2024, is set out in the table below:

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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1088. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses that were seized and-or impounded for trespass and for non-compliance with chipping law and regulation by county in each of the years 2015 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1008/25]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, local authorities may take a range of actions in relation to equines including prohibiting horses in certain areas, the issuing of licences and the seizure of horses in contravention of the Act. These powers can be used in respect of straying horses, which includes horses put on land without the owner’s permission, including public land. Local authorities may also prosecute offenders.

In dealing with breaches of equine identification legislation, my Department’s policy is to adopt a fair and proportional approach. Authorised officers engage with keepers to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and where potential breaches of the legislation are identified, they generally provide an opportunity for non-compliant keepers to rectify the position within a specified time frame.

My Department provides financial support to help local authorities with these seizures. Figures with respect to the number of animals involved are outlined in the table below. The figures for 2024 are still being finalised and the only data currently available is for the period January – September 2024. Detailed information in relation to the reasons for the seizures rest with the local authorities.