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Animals
Motion on Horse Welfare & Animal Welfare Unit
Agenda #18November 2, 2026
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Motions on Notice
Summary
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Councillor Moore's motion on notice calls for better resourcing of the Animal Welfare Unit, a visible awareness campaign on horse welfare and owner responsibilities, and a clearly outlined protocol for horse rescue situations. The motion was prompted by an incident in Brickfields Park on Saturday 17 October where children aged 11-15 were seen mistreating an injured horse and residents could not get an effective response from the Gardaí or the Animal Welfare Unit, which does not operate after 3 PM on weekends.
Main issues
- Members of the Animal Welfare Committee, including Cllr. Heney, argued the unit is not proactively inspecting premises or enforcing horse licensing by knocking on doors, while Cllr. Perry and Cllr. Silke defended the committee's work and called for expanded operating hours and more detailed reporting.
- Several councillors broadened the debate to education, funding and policy, with Cllr. Kenny contrasting the €20.4 million allocated to greyhound racing with the lack of resources for animal protection and education and Cllr. Dunne proposing a levy on Ireland's 2.5-3 billion euro horse industry to help lower-income owners care for their animals.
- The manager committed to launch a review of the Animal Welfare Unit within the next month, update the council website quickly with information on reporting routes, and develop an awareness campaign with the Animal Welfare Committee; Cllr. Moore and Cllr. O'Doherty pressed for a clear timeline and regular updates back to council.
Dublin City Council's Animal Welfare Unit is responsible for the licensing and control of dogs and horses in the Dublin City Council area. It enforces the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 by responding to welfare cases and reports of mistreatment, and assisting dogs and horses in need of veterinary help. Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, it also seizes and impounds stray horses and assists An Garda Síochána in protecting the public from the risks they cause. The council's Control of Horses Bye-Laws took effect in 2014. They provide for the control and licensing of horses in the council's administrative area.
A horse licence is legally required to keep a horse in the city. It costs €32, and the unit's veterinary officer arranges an inspection after an application is submitted. The unit also inspects stables within the council area to check they meet the standards in the legislation. Applications require the horse's microchip number.
The unit's public reporting line is limited. The phone line is active 9am-5pm on weekdays and 11am-3pm on weekends. Outside those hours, residents have to rely on other agencies. The council says it often runs joint operations with An Garda Síochána to investigate reports. It also works with partners such as the DSPCA. This matters because welfare emergencies, such as an injured horse in a public park, can happen outside office hours. Reporting routes, resourcing and enforcement of licensing are therefore recurring public concerns.
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