Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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494. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses seized under the Control of Horses Act 2015 in each of the past three years, by local authority, in tabular form. [53705/25]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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495. 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, each year from 2020 to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53706/25]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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496. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps being taken by his Department to assist local councils in addressing the issue of wandering horses in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53707/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 to 496, inclusive, together.

My Department is responsible for all policy and legislation in relation to the Control of Horses Act 1996. Operation of the Act comes under the remit of Local Authorities.

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.

My Department provides financial support to help local authorities with the costs of these seizures.

My Department collects information in respect of the overall number of equines seized from local authorities on a quarterly basis.

The figures provided by local authorities to my Department in respect of equine seizures by county for the last five years are provided in the following table.

TOTAL HORSES SEIZED 2025