COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 11, 2019

QUESTION NO.16

QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

To ask the Chief Executive to outline actions being taken in respect of education around horse ownership which is clearly essential in reducing the number of horses that are neglected and abused in our County and in reporting will he detail the number of horses seized, reclaimed, re-homed and euthanised in 2018 and will he confirm the cost to the Council of the complete operation and will he make a statement.

REPLY:

Under the Control of Horses Act, 1996, all local authorities are responsible for the control of horses in their areas. In accordance with the provisions of this Act, South Dublin County Council's Control of Horses Bye-Laws, 2014 were made on 10th February 2014 and implemented with effect from 12th March 2014. These Byelaws are actively enforced and provide the Council with tools to deal with issues which impact negatively on communities and animals alike.

Problems associated with keeping horses in an urban area may include neglect and cruelty to the animals, damage to public property including parks, sports pitches and grass verges, danger posed to public safety and general nuisance posed by presence of horses in public places.

South Dublin County Council has a proven track record in the effective management of this service, and also works closely with the DSPCA in monitoring horses from an animal welfare perspective within South Dublin County.

All reports of loose/stray horses which are received from elected representatives, members of the public and Council staff are considered in a timely manner and, as appropriate, are referred to the contractor engaged by the Council for the provision and operation of the horse seizure service and horse pound facility.

All seized horses are taken to the horse pound facility where they are microchipped on arrival, (if not already microchipped) and examined by a veterinary practitioner. Horses which are unsuitable for re-homing or those which are not reclaimed by their owners (within a period of five days from the date of seizure and detention the Council or Garda Superintendent) may be disposed of by way of sale, re-homing or animal euthanasia. (It should be noted that not all animals seized are suitable for rehoming).

Year

Number Of Horses Seized By SDCC

No. of Horses Re-claimed by owner

No. Of Horses Re-homed

No. of Horses Euthanised

2018

147

5

34

108

As set out in the bye-laws, a horse may be reclaimed on production of the following:

  1. proof of identification of owner or keeper by passport, drivers licence or other form of legitimate official photographic identification which the Council in its absolute discretion deems to be acceptable
  2. proof of ownership of the horse
  3. a valid passport of the horse where such passport has been issued
  4. proof of permission from the landowner where the horse is to be kept
  5. proof of entry on Register of Horse Premises of the premises where the horse is to be kept, in accordance with the provisions of the Diseases of Animals Act 1966 (Registration of Horse Premises) Order 2012, S.I. No. 8 of 2012
  6. a horse licence for the time being in force granted by the Council if the horse is kept in the control area or by another local authority if the horse is proposed to be kept in the control area of that authority
  7. evidence that the horse is microchipped and registered in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Equine) Regulations 2011, S.I. No. 357 of 2011 and
  8. payment of all fees due to the local authority arising from the seizure and detention of the horse demanded pursuant to the provisions of these Bye-Laws

Where the owner of a horse is known and can be found a notice is served setting out the above requirements. Where the owner is not known, notice of seizure is displayed at County Hall and Civic Centre, Clondalkin, the local Garda station and on the Council’s website https://www.sdcc.ie/en/services/environment/animal-welfare/horses/seized-horses/

Statistics in relation to horse seizures nationally are available from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine through the following link: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalwelfare/controlofhorses/

The Dublin Region Horse Welfare Working Group was established by South Dublin County Council in August 2017 in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine; Dublin City Council; Fingal County Council; Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and An Garda Síochána. The group was established to develop a concerted collaborative programme aimed at promoting and facilitating responsible horse ownership across the Dublin region.

The membership of the group includes:

The group has met on seven occasions, with the most recent meeting held on 6th December 2018. The next meeting is scheduled for the 7th March.

Four dedicated working groups in the following areas are in place:

South Dublin County Council receives subvention from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for its the delivery of the service under the Control of Horses Act 1996, specifically in relation to the cost of seizures.  Expenditure in 2018 for the administration and management of the service in South Dublin County was approximately €212,000.

Ballyowen Equine Centre:

This urban equine facility comprises a single storey building of 20 stalls providing stabling for twenty (20) horses, exercise paddocks (2), toilets/showers, a meeting/class room, a kitchenette and small informal meeting area which provides a welcoming community and learning space for young horse owners from the urban environs of North and South West Clondalkin.

The facility was developed by South Dublin County Council in collaboration with Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) and Clondalkin Equine Club in order to address the keeping of horses in an unregulated and uncontrolled manner resulting in serious animal welfare and public safety issues which were a cause of concern for both the Council, Gardaí, central government and the communities of these areas.

The facility gives young horse owners the opportunity to take responsibility and care for their animals in a safe environment.

Fettercairn Youth Horse Project:

FYHP continues to operate as a community based horse riding centre in Tallaght; they run public or private horse riding lessons and pony camps for all ages.

http://fyhp.ie/about/history/