Thomas Gould
Question:616. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the horse project for Cork. [54831/23]
View answerTuesday, 12 December 2023
Questions (616)
Written answers
My Department and I are fully committed to supporting sustainable, One Health, One Welfare initiatives in line with the Programme for Government and Working Together for Animal Welfare, Ireland's Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025 and continue to support a number of urban horse projects nationwide.
These projects can foster community leadership and education in responsible horse ownership for young people from disadvantaged communities or backgrounds.
Typically, support and arrangements for these projects are provided by the Local Authorities. The funding provided by my Department is paid through the Local Authorities to support these projects.
Through Cork City Council, my Department has in the past supported a Cork City Horse Project which was a collaborative initiative involving Cork City and County Councils and community stakeholders including the Traveller Visibility Group.
We welcome further submissions, through local authorities, for assistance in Cork in the context of our Urban Horse Projects scheme.
In October this year, my Department held a seminar dedicated to the promotion of such urban horse projects nationwide. The seminar encouraged collaboration and the exchange of ideas and best practices among local authorities and other stakeholders, with a view towards enabling more projects to be successfully established.