Question on horse welfare

Parliamentary Question No.163

 
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 29 of 12 December 2013, the current support to local authorities under the Control of Horses Act; and the financial support allocated to animal welfare organisations for 2014 to assist in the delivery of animal care and welfare services.
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– Thomas Pringle.
For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 12th March, 2014.

Ref No: 12255/14 Proof: 183
REPLY

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: (Simon Coveney)
My Department devotes considerable resources to issues relating to the welfare of animals, including horses. In 2013, my Department paid €3.054m to Local Authorities to assist with their work under the Control of Horses Act, 1996 in managing stray, abandoned or unwanted horses.
My Department in an effort to ensure that scarce resources are managed in an efficient manner agreed a protocol in 2012 with local authorities. The protocol set out best practice in how local authorities apply the Control of Horses Act in their respective areas with a view to achieving greater uniformity, financial savings and efficiencies in implementation of the Act. The maximum contribution payable to local authorities from my Department per horse seized has been fixed at €450.00

In the event that full costs are not recoverable from persons/groups re-homing horses, the maximum contribution payable from my Department is €200 per horse and €125 for equines other than horses. In addition, all expenses and costs incurred by local authorities in respect of horses and equines that are being reclaimed are to be borne by the owner reclaiming the equine.

With regard to funding to animal welfare organisations in 2014, in December 2013, I announced funding of €1.8m to 136 organisations involved in animal care and welfare services throughout the country to support their activities in 2014. The level of funding being provided to these organisations has been increased for the third year in a row, reflecting the importance I attach to their work. I specifically increased funding to those organisations involved in horse welfare activities to ensure that they have sufficient resources to enable them cater for any difficulties arising in the area of horse welfare over the coming year. This increased funding should enable welfare bodies absorb some costs associated with re-homing horses.

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