I presume it was not a coincidence that the Minister signed the regulations after I submitted my matter on the Adjournment. I welcome that move.
Many Dublin local authority members had meetings with the Minister prior to the drafting of the legislation. However, as a result of his discussions with local authority managers beforehand, he was aware of the extent of the problem of wandering horses in Dublin city and county. We assured him of our support when he introduced the legislation, regardless of the fact that we were in Opposition. I welcomed the broad thrust of the Bill but the delay in enacting it has caused concern in the communities. There was an expectation that, once the legislation was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, the problem would be immediately addressed. Yet, two months later not a single horse has been removed from the urban and suburban parts of Dublin in which they are kept by a huge number of young people. When the legislation was debated in the House, I said it would only be as effective as the finance provided for it and the strength of Garda support for local authorities in implementing its provisions. I hope the Minister will reassure me that the Bill will be as strong as necessary to protect animals which are subjected to cruelty and motorists and pedestrians from the possibility of accidents.
There is a need for the Minister to provide funding to support the proposed equine centre for Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, and to remove the barriers to the commencement of this project. Balance is required in the approach to the problem of wandering horses and the phenomenon of urban cowboys. A huge number of young people in the Ballyfermot area own horses. They love their animals, which are their main interest in life at this stage. The community has made a number of submissions to the Government for funding to establish an equine centre.
They received much favourable comment and promises that the scheme would be taken seriously and funded. They understood it would be a pilot scheme in Dublin to address the issue of horses in urban areas. To date, they have not received a penny in funding and the land which was earmarked for the project is still derelict. In the Cherry Orchard estate and other areas of Ballyfermot, people have constructed stables in their back gardens. The Minister will agree that is unsuitable and not the way the project should be run. However, it is either that or leave many of the animals running wild.
The signal needs to be sent to owners of horses in urban areas that the local authorities and the Garda will come down heavily on those who abuse their animals by not feeding or watering them properly. However, genuine animal lovers should be told that there is more to the legislation than just removing and disposing of the animals if they are taken in three times. We should be sympathetic to this phenomenon in urban areas. The Cherry Orchard estate was identified as a suitable area for a project and the people there made submissions. They are awaiting Government approval and funding. If both aspects were taken together, it would be a positive way to approach the legislation. As the Minister has signed the regulations, I urge him to deal with the provision of an equine centre in Cherry Orchard.
