I welcome the Minister to the House and I thank the Chair for allowing me an opportunity to raise this issue.
The Animals Act, 1985, was introduced after I became a member of my local council. We welcomed it at the time because we had a big problem with wandering animals in Limerick city, which I represent. However, I understand it has also been a problem in other urban areas.
The Act did help to some extent but it did not entirely solve the problem. Under the Act, the local authority could establish a pound, charge fines when animals were found wandering and had the power to take in animals wandering in public streets and parks. It also gave the Garda powers to assist the local authorities. The Act was introduced in 1985, but the problems have not disappeared. There is a need to strengthen the legislation in this area, specifically as it relates to urban areas. In many ways, the Act is designed to tackle problems that occur in rural areas where an animal will inadvertently break out of a field and end up on the public road. However, in urban areas the problem arises when owners do not have sufficient land or stabling to look after their animals. They can be asked where they keep their animals when they are returned to them but it is not an offence, for example, for a landowner to tell the local authority that the animals are kept in a certain place although that may not be the case. In effect, the law needs to be tightened to make it an offence to give wrong information in this area. Local authorities would then be sure that the owner has an appropriate place to keep the animal. That would be in the interests of the animal's welfare as well as the people in the area.
Wandering animals have caused accidents. They are a health hazard, particularly to those playing on sports pitches. Animals are frequently allowed to graze on pitches and teams of young people play on these same pitches later. Not only is there the threat of disease but, having a horse on a pitch, is a potential source of danger. I know of matches being called off because of damage done to playing pitches by animals.
There was some discussion in my local authority on this issue. Some of the suggestions made included the possibility of branding or notching wandering animals so they could be identified in the future. It was also suggested that there should be an obligation on anybody collecting an animal from a pound to show that they have sufficient land — the suggestion was one hectare per horse — and stabling facilities or have made suitable arrangements with a landowner for the animal. There should be a legal obligation to ensure there is no evasion on this issue and it should be established that there is a suitable place for the animal to be kept. There is a system of notching under the ewe premium scheme. Maybe a similar type of notching or tagging could be applied in these case.
Wandering animals are a major problem in Dublin and Waterford — I am not sure about other urban areas. We have a consistent problem in Limerick with animals owned by people with no land who allow them to wander mainly on to public pitches, river banks and roadways. This is a public nuisance, a health hazard and a danger. There is a need to strengthen the legislation in this area.
I did note in A Government of Renewal that there is a reference to the intention to deal with this problem. I would very much appreciate if we could see it addressed as soon as possible.
