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DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS have unanimously agreed to a motion calling for legal gaps around horse drawn carriages to be “dealt with immediately”.
The emergency motion, brought by Fianna Fáil councillor Deridre Heney, calls on the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Minister for Local Government, Housing and Heritage Darragh O’Brien to deal “with the legal lacuna that exists in relation to the non-regulation of Dublin carriage horses”.
Lord Mayor James Geoghan said the unanimity among councillors reflects a desire to “have this legislation introduced as quickly as is humanly possible”.
The motion comes on the back of an incident last month when a horse drawing a carriage collapsed on a road at Christchurch.
Speaking on this incident tonight, Dublin City Council (DCC) manager David Forde said the Council’s animal welfare services are aware of the incident that happened on Saturday, 24 August.
He said that in a follow up operation, a horse was seized in the Dublin 8 area and “removed to a safe place for veterinary care” and that investigations are ongoing.
He noted that a legislative change is required to transfer power to regulate horse drawn carriages to local authorities.
Forde added that the proposed Department of Transport horse drawn carriages Bill was listed as “heads in preparation” on the Government Legislative Programme of Summer 2024
That Bill would repeal the Dublin Carriage Acts 1853-55 and relieve An Garda Síochána of responsibility for the regulation and licensing of horse-drawn carriages in Dublin.
It would also assert the power of local authorities, including Dublin City Council, to regulate horse-drawn carriages within their respective functional areas.
Speaking on the issues at a DCC meeting tonight, Heney said the lack of regulation of horse drawn carriages is creating a “serious and dangerous situation” in Dublin city.
“It’s only a matter of time that someone is going to be fatally injured if we don’t do something about it,” she added.
She noted that DCC currently has no powers to regulate the licensing of horse drawn carriages, nor can it make bylaws to regulate carriage operator licenses or “stipulate that a carriage would actually pass a simple roadworthiness test”.
Listing further legal gas, Heney remarked that DCC can’t make bylaws to “require that a garda vetting of carriage drivers is required, to regulate a driver’s basic ability to operate a carriage, or to ensure a driver has no serious previous road traffic or animal abuse offenses, or that the driver can is actually insured”.
She added that many carriage horse drivers want better regulation on animal welfare and that DCC should be able to regulate maximum working hours for horses and to specify the minimum age of a horse.
“Some very young horses are dragging large amounts around that they’re totally unsuitable for it,” said Heney.
She added: “All of the above makes it very difficult to enforce existing laws because the public does not know which driver or carriage to report, or how or who to report a concern to.”
Remarking on the incident at Christchurch, Geoghan said: “If now doesn’t move the dial, I don’t know what will.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Cieran Perry said it “shouldn’t take a disgraceful incident like this to progress the issue” and Ray McAdam cautioned that “we are seeing very young kids who are not fit to control these wonderful animals, trying to control them”.
Elsewhere, Jen Cummins said she is often contacted about the “poor treatment of horses” and added that the “speed with which horses are driven in the city is dangerous” and she also expressed concern about the age of those driving the carriages.
Máire Devine meanwhile said the “legislation is sitting there in the Dáil and needs to be acted on by the powers that be”.
She added that manure from the horses is another big issue related to this and that “kids going to school are treading in it”.
Ammar Ali also remarked that it shouldn’t have taken the incident in Christchurch for action to be taken and that he often sees the horses being treated badly.
However, Hazel De Nortúin said that it was brought before the Council up to seven years ago and that carriage drivers have approached her asking for great regulation and that the issue “shouldn’t be kicked to touch again”.
Daithí Doolan also picked up this point and said the issue has been raised “time and time again” over the years.
Both Doolan and Janice Boylan noted that many horse owners “look after their animals impeccably and they shouldn’t be worried about legislation”.
“That will only enhance their standing and they can set a gold standard for the maintenance of horses,” said Doolan.
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Anyone who says the usual nonsense about building it around the M50 clearly doesn’t drive on the M50 regularly.
Dave, I hear the M50 is quiet between 3am and 4am. I personally think they’re fibbing.
In the event of an emergency id be hooring up the hard shoulder and stopping for nobody. Its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. :-)
Dave this is a maternity hospital who services South Dublin. It’s a perfect location.
@Dave Harris: more then 2/3rds ot the poulation live outside of dublin, it;s the national childrens hospital not the dublin childrens hospital
It is neither of those things, they are talking about the national MATERNITY hospital….
Serious joke yet again. Why the likes of Blanchardstown and Tallaght hospitals were,’t given preference for the maternity and childrens hospitals is beyond me. They have more than adequit land and travel facilitys.
Can’t fathom that either. Surely cheaper land and far easier to travel to and park the further from Dublin. Bad enough for a couple of births, but a Children’s hospital will have many repeat visitors per family.
Because the high flyers who run these hospitals don’t live in Tallaght or Blanchardstown that’s why.
I agree, it should have been moved to the end of my street. Or better still they should build one at the end of everyone’s street
Great that’s just around the corner from my house, better start knocking the wife up
The land is owned by Vincents what you on about
@viking – why would it move to Blanchardstown!? It provides maternity services for Dublin South East and East Wicklow. Are you really that stupid?
The Rotunda Hospital is due to move to Blanchardstown
@The Viking: Not the maternity or children’s hospital, a hospital. there will be more. Blanch and tallaght will get theirs, just not this time.
Meanwhile you propose a stripping out of the city centre. coring the heart and installing stand alone drive through only monstrosities as far from the centre as possible.
How far out do you need to live before you can stop being ashamed of being a Dub?
@The Viking:, there’s more to a hospital than just parking and roads. Blanch was ruled out as a collocation site for the children’s hospital because it’s *not as good medically*. Maybe it’s just me but the quality and experience of the doctors and nursing staff beat parking and traffic considerations any day.
A Dub ? … The clue is in the name : National. As in, everywhere outside Dublin as well. There’s more to Ireland than bloody coddle & chips. …
@Platypus Parcel: is this the national childrens hospital or the south dublin childrens hospital ? im sure youre not aware but theres a whole world outside south dublin
It’s just called that, the rotunda I’d due to move to blanch and the combe to James or tallaght. People getting very hot up when they clearly don’t understand how the maternity hospitals work, and also that this article is not about the children’s hospital!!
Co-location is no longer considered necessary by international standards. Maybe the children’s hospital location should now be reconsidered
Shame they couldn’t refurbish holles st. It’s a wonderful old building full of character that will probably be sold off to one of the law firms.
Character doesn’t make a good hospital…
A wonderful old building. That’s the very reason why they are moving.
In saying that myself ant my daughter were both born in the same room. She was born the day after my 30th.
Good post code though
National Maternity Hospital Board meetings will now officially start with a decade of the rosary…
Archbishop of Dublin is already their patron.
@Liam Kennedy: Cos bishops know all about making babies…thought they banished him to south america?
@Get Lost Eircodes: I was also under the impression that the board of St Vincent’s was far more conservative than HS and potentially a source of problems if/when more liberal policies are to be adopted.
Will it actually be built, opened and made operational?
This is a great result for the mothers-to-be in the catchment of the NMH. The co-location with SVUH guarantees better patient outcomes for emergency cases, as well as better transport options for routine cases.
The “National Maternity Hospital” is a somewhat inflated title. It is the largest maternity hospital in the State but its intended catchment is only intended to be south of the Liffey.
The proposed National Children’s Hospital is just that, however, and should be located in the most optimal location to allow accessibility to children (and their parents) from the entire country. It should also be collocates with a general hospital with the necessary skills mix. St. James’s Hospital probably meets the latter criteria, it doesn’t in any way meet the former. In fact, I’d go so far to say St. James’s should be relocated out westward closer to the M50. There is still a requirement within the City centre for acute and emergency care, perhaps these functions could remain within the city in a satellite hospital, but the current location for St. James’s is not fit for purpose as a general hospital, let alone a Children’s Hospital.
what is the point of having a national maternity hospital. We have 19 maternity hospitals in Ireland all doing a great job.
I don’t believe all 19 are doing a great job.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/safety-statements-for-19-maternity-units-published-385219.html
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