Vol. 478 No. 5
135 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether the regulations prescribing the application fee for horse licences and identification by microchip implant have been prepared by his Department in the context of the Control of Horses Act, 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11494/97]
136 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will notify South Dublin County Council of the finance he will make available to this local authority in order to implement the Control of Horses Act, 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11495/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Control of Horses Regulations, 1997 were made on 24 April 1997. These regulations set out the formats of the on-the-spot fine notice and of the horse licence and set the fee for a horse licence at £25. The regulations also provide that horses covered by the legislation must be identified by means of a microchip implanted under the skin. The regulations enable local authorities to implement the powers they have been given under the Control of Horses Act, 1996, to deal with the problem of wandering horses.
I am anxious to ensure that resources are available to assist local authorities in putting this legislation into effect and I have made specific provision in my Department's Estimates for 1997, for grants to be paid to local authorities for this purpose.Allocations to eligible individual local authorities will have regard not only to their implementation of the Act but also to the relative scale of the horse problem faced by each authority. My Department will shortly advise local authorities of the specific criteria which will be applied in its consideration of grant allocations. It will then be a matter for those authorities which have put the Act into effect to make formal applications for assistance. Implementation of the Act by any authority need not, however, await completion of this process.
