ALMOST 1,100 horses are roaming public areas of Dublin, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr jimmy Deenihan, told the Seanad when introducing the Bill to control wandering horses in urban areas. A key provision of the measure was the identification of horses and their owners, he said. A committee would recommend the best way of achieving this. Mr Deenihan warned that any case of cruelty against horses or other animals would be met with the full rigours of the law.
He said there had been calls for the abolition of the monthly horse fair in Smithfield, Dublin. He felt the issue was far too complex for treatment in this Bill. The general topic of markets in this country needed to receive the comprehensive attention of a body such as the Law Reform Commission before a decision was taken on abolition.