Trevor Sargent
Question:154 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether the Control of Horses Bill, 1996, will deal with the over-breeding of horses, particularly in the Dublin area. [13027/96]
Written Answers. - Dublin Horse Problem.
Trevor Sargent
Question:155 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has for dealing in a humane way with the inevitable problems of starving, thirsty, and, in many instances, abused horses in the Dublin region this summer in view of the fact that the Control of Horses Bill, 1996, will not become law until at least the next parliamentary term. [13029/96]
Trevor Sargent
Question:156 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will make a statement on the fate of the hundreds of horses that will remain unclaimed from pounds following the implementation of the Control of Horses Bill, 1996; and if he will consider introducing a nation-wide adopt-a-horse scheme to safeguard against the wholesale and unnecessary destruction of horses. [13030/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 154, 155 and 156 together.
The Control of Horses Bill, 1996, is intended to provide for the control of horses and to make provision for the licensing of horses in urban and other areas where they cause a danger to persons or property or nuisance. It will not deal directly with the breeding of horses.
The Protection of Animals Acts, 1911 and 1965, which are administered by the Garda Síochána, are adequate to deal with any problems of abuse of horses. As indicated in the House on 29 May, 1996, it is proposed that the penalty provisions of the Protection of Animals Act, 1911, be recast to include penalties for conviction on indictment. Section 45 of the Bill provides that the maximum penalties under the Protection of Animals Act, 1911, will be as follows: on summary conviction a fine of £1,500 or six months' imprisonment or both and on conviction on indictment a fine of £10,000 or two years' imprisonment or both. This provision seeks to address a limitation of the existing Act in that it contains only minor penalties on summary conviction. The new provision will be a more stringent deterrent against cruelty to all animals, including horses.
There is as yet no indication of the number of horses that will remain unclaimed from pounds following the implementation of the Bill. The question of disposal of such horses must be deferred until the proposed legislation is in place and begins to take effect.