LIMERICK city and county council spends more on dealing with the problem of stray horses than any other local authority, including the Dublin municipal councils.
Latest figures have shown that between the four local authorities in Dublin, €932,000 has been spent on seizing and destroying horses in 2014. Sinn Féin’s Cmhlr Séighin Ó Ceallaigh has pointed out that ‘proportionately Limerick has a far worse problem with horses than Dublin.’
“This year, Limerick City and County Council will be spending €613,000 on seizing and destroying horses, and when you look at the population difference between Dublin and Limerick, Limerick are spending far more per person than Dublin.
“In terms of spending, Limerick spends €3.20 per person on horses per year, and Dublin spends just €0.73 per person on horses per year. We are spending over four times the amount per person, on destroying horses, how can that be justified?
“I welcome the proposal to set up a special committee on Limerick City and County Council, to deal with the horse project and the issue around horses in Limerick, as we need to do something urgently. The money we use to deal with horses, could be used to restore the bin waiver cut, to stop Property Tax being forced onto Council tenants, or fund local works.
“I have also raised the issue in the Joint Policing Committee, in the Council, and in Community Groups, as it is affecting so many people, and costing this council so much money. It’s crazy that we are spending so much in comparison with Dublin, and not providing any solutions to the problem. Year in, year out the council spends so much money using this method, and I think that it’s time we all sat down and came up with a progressive solution”, he said.
