Vol. 548 No. 4
97 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the status of a submission made to his Department by Kilkenny County Council on behalf of Travellers residing at St. Mary's and St. Catherine's Estates, Kilkenny; if funding is available for the project based on the feasibility study prepared by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5099/02]
Recently Kilkenny County Council presented my Department with a feasibility study on horse accommodation for Traveller horse owners in Kilkenny. In the near future it is intended to hold a meeting between my Department's officials and the county council to discuss it.
Support for this project falls to be considered by the local authority. Under the provisions of the Control Of Horses Act grant assistance where horse projects are involved is and can only be provided to the relevant local authority which must be involved in the project. It is my Department's understanding that the feasibility study has not been adopted by Kilkenny County Council nor has it made a formal decision on the project.
With regard to funding of equine projects, where a local authority supports and is involved in a project within the context of implementing the Control of Horses Act, 1996, subject to the availability of funding, my Department will give grant assistance to that local authority.
