Council plans recovery amnesty after rounding up 50 horses

HORSE outside à la Limerick duo, Rubberbandits, raised a lot of laughs.

But the herd of horses outside roaming estates in the city has become an increasingly serious issue at Limerick City Hall.

Last year, the council rounded up 184 strays horses. But, so far this year, the round-up figure has spiralled to 50.

A Co Cork company is contracted by the council to tackle strays and, last year, the service cost the council €222,000.

To recover a horse, the owner has to pay €1,000 which increases by €24 every day the animal is impounded.

In a move to tackle the problem, the council has decided to put in place a horse amnesty from February 11 to 14.

Director of environmental services, Caroline Curley, said: “During those days we will take the horses away for free without any charge. A person can contact us and we will arrange to have any horse collected at an agreed time and place.” She said, last year, only a ‘handful’ of the 184 horses seized and impounded were recovered by their owners.

Ms Curley said: “The owers of the seized horses must meet certain criteria if they want to get them back. Apart from having to pay the €1,000 fee and any additional daily charges, they must produce an affidavit stating they are the owners of the horse.

“They are also required to demonstrate they have some place legal to bring the horses to and this generally means lands outside the city boundary.”

Horse owners must also have a licence and there are no such licences held within the city boundary.

Former Defence Minister Willie O’Dea at one point considered allocating lands owned by the Department at Knockalisheen adjacent to Moyross, for use by horse owners living in Moyross. However, the Government got legal advice it would not be possible.

Ms Curley said: “We intend to sustain the enforcement of the Control of Horses bylaws.”

Round-up operations are planned during the early hours of the morning for safety reasons when there is less traffic.