1. - Horse Welfare and Associated Issues

2. 1.Background Issues o Large scale abandonment in rural areas (post celtic tiger) o Little analysis/research carried out on the fundamental reasons o Scale of the problem has dramatically increased No.Seizures and Disposals 20112,936 20122,969 20134,727 20144,923 o Resource-intensive activity; manpower, equipment, holding facilities, health and safety etc. o Animal welfare concerns o Recent strengthening of legislation i.e. equine ID, change of ownership, registration of equine premises - little evidence of compliance however in relation to this category of horse o Very costly (much of the cost now being borne by local authorities) o Good co-operation between Departments/Agencies o Many stakeholders involved

3. 2.Cost Implications o Local authority costs not now fully recouped o Some limited scope for efficiencies (e.g. regional tendering) o Service Legal Agreement with DAFM is required 3. Challenges in Implementation o A range of ‘technical’ issues associated with current legislation (refer to appendix to submission of 25.2.2015) o Distinction between ‘nuisance’ and actual ‘danger to the public’ o Limited number of impounding contractors o Culture of carelessness on the part of some owners o Most horses seized are in poor condition, few micro-chipped o Large scale grazing on commonages (environmental issues) o Also on undeveloped zoned lands (NAMA) o Very few re-homed (circa 2%) o Sulkie racing o Local authorities being used as an expensive disposal service?

4. 4.Urban Areas o Problems of the ‘urban horse’ o Links with criminality 5. Effectiveness of Implementation o 878 equines seized in the first quarter of 2015 o Problem is likely to be greater though as many local authorities are now only impounding if there is a clear danger to the public o No sign of problem abating at local level despite all the effort and expenditure incurred. o Current Control of Horses Act not fully fit for purpose o Need to identify and deal with the root causes (N/B) 6. Animal Welfare o Very labour intensive o Local authorities have limited professional resources 7. Other Issues o Targeted cull (ruled out), castration (not really feasible), impact of new regulations to be fully assessed, transport of seized horses, establishment of pounds, euthanasia, knackery approval etc. o Some signs of market returning though mainly at upper and middle ends

5. 8. Voluntary/Community Initiatives o Local initiatives (e.g. Dunsink Project); animal charities etc as part of the solution o Welcomed by the local government sector o A range of educational initiatives also required to address current social mores o Also needs to be considered from a cost benefit perspective o Should not supplant existing funding arrangements 9. Need for a Collaborative Approach o Involving key stakeholders, DAFM, DECLG, LAs, Gardaí, animal welfare groups (i.e. post seizure), representatives of horse owners, farming community and possibly NAMA (?) o Need for rigorous and collaborative enforcement o Bye-laws/exclusion zones as part of the solution o Move to full traceability of all horses through effective enforcement (similar to cattle, though far more complex as it is largely ‘outside the gate’) o All owners to be fully accountable o Review of Control of Horses Act welcomed o Inter-Agency approach – all agencies on the same page! o Perhaps too much focus on the symptoms rather than the fundamental causes of the problem (N/B)