Maurice Quinlivan
Limerick City · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“The Kilteragh estate in Dooradoyle, where hundreds of homes are also located, has no bus service. The nearest bus stop is located outside the Crescent Shopping Centre, which is 2 km away. Another area that is lacking a bus service is that which lies between St.”
“In recent years, there have been some improvements on the bus transport in Limerick city, with routes such as the 310 from Annacotty to the city centre being rolled out. These new routes and improvements have to be welcomed, but significant gaps remain in the provision of bus services across Limerick city.”
“We have already seen a four-year delay in the delivery of BusConnects, which has impacted the economic development and liveability of Limerick. When raising the issue of University Hospital Limerick on many occasions, I have spoken about the growing population of Limerick and the wider mid-west region.”
“We have faced major challenges in making the Limerick city centre a liveable and enjoyable place. Efforts have been made to improve the city and make it a more attractive place to visit and enjoy. We have had some great success with the promotion of King John's Castle as a music venue, Thomond Park and the annual Great Limerick Run.”
“As stated, good progress has been made regarding transport in the mid-west, but we still lag way behind other areas across the State. Last year, I published a report on bus infrastructure in areas on the north side of Limerick City.”
“What they have done with the route, with buses coming onto O’Callaghan Avenue from Kileely and then onto the High Road and Thomond at Johnseys shop, is very dangerous. The road has been narrowed so much that buses have to mount the footpaths on both sides. Somebody is going to get seriously injured unless something is done.”
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“In the first five months of 2025, the team conducted over 200 interventions, with indications that 80% of these had a major impact on the person in crisis. Speaking in Limerick about CAST, the Minister for justice, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, said we need to roll it out across the country. The pilot project has been working well but I am concerned that it has not received its own funding. We must ensure it becomes permanent. Having spoken to senior HSE staff and Limerick gardaí, I note the project has already saved lives and kept people out of prison and emergency departments. A senior garda told me it is a godsend. It is a no-brainer. CAST must be retained, fully developed and resourced. It should be retained permanently in Limerick through central government funding and the model must be extended to other areas.”
“Too often in Limerick, we see the devastating impact of mental health challenges. Over the past decade, Limerick city has frequently recorded the highest suicide rate in Ireland. Tonight, I want to acknowledge the volunteers who will be out tonight in the appalling weather we have been having in the past couple of days. Limerick Suicide Watch and Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention both patrol the riverside in Limerick. Haven Hub and others also do fantastic work. Many a life has been saved because of the presence and interventions of the volunteers. The Minister of State will be well aware of the work of the community access support team, CAST, pilot over the past 12 months. Following years of delay, it was initiated on a trial basis. Since its initiation, it has delivered positive results for those in need of assistance.”
“However, if people visited the Uisce Éireann website at the time and entered their eircode from another part of the city, they were told a boil notice was in operation across the whole city, but there was not. The maps, press notices and website offered contrary information to each other. This led to utter confusion across Limerick for most of the day and stress and concern for thousands of residents who thought they had to boil their water when they did not. I received reports of supermarkets running out of bottled water. The excuses offered at the time, which included a computer glitch, are simply not acceptable. As an elected Member for Limerick, if I contact Irish Water about an issue, there is a failure to adequately respond. That needs to be addressed. This is simply not good enough.”
“The public are resilient; they can handle interruptions to the supply once they are kept informed of developments, but this simply does not happen with Uisce Éireann. In December 2025, areas of Limerick were left without access to water for six days. The Irish Water text alert system notified people of the outage, but what is frustrating is that the system and the email correspondence offered no information whatsoever to customers as to when the outage would finish. Families and businesses rely on accurate information so they can plan for necessary interruptions to the water supply. In some instances, the failure of communication is even more profound, in particular when it comes to boil notices. In May last year, boil notices were issued in areas of Limerick city, including Moyross, Corbally and the Mill Road.”
“Significant issues remain from the so-called Celtic tiger period, with significant leakage remaining in our infrastructure and I fear there is not sufficient funding to local authorities and Uisce Éireann to address this. When there are deficits in water infrastructure often houses cannot be developed, homes cannot be built, businesses cannot expand, and environmental protections are often compromised. Uisce Éireann is trying to address the issues of leakage through the national leakage reduction plan. It has completed works in areas of Limerick to address some of the leakage and, again, this is to be welcomed. It is high time, however, that these leaks and wastage be addressed properly. I regret that its level of communication both with elected Members and the general public can be absolutely appalling.”
“The announcement earlier this week by the Minister that the Bunlicky wastewater treatment plant is to be upgraded with construction commencing in 2028 is very welcome news. The population of Limerick and its surrounds is increasing at a very fast rate and this upgrade should help, should the Government deliver on its planned housing targets. While based on the performance in previous years, I doubt it can deliver the projected housing targets, preparatory work like this is to be welcomed. We remain in a very difficult situation when it comes to water infrastructure across Ireland. In July last year, the Committee on Budgetary Oversight stated the water infrastructure deficit is limiting the supply of housing and other infrastructure.”
“I ask the Minister to speak with the Garda Commissioner about this issue, because we have a massive problem in Limerick, and I am concerned people will be killed.”
“They are purchasing it in bulk cheaply and selling it for a profit to young people. It is an attractive product for younger people to use as it provides a high for up to 45 minutes and is less expensive than alcohol. The sale and supply of this product is not a niche problem. During a recent "Prime Time" programme, Revenue noted that they are seizing more than 1,000 large canisters per week. Thomas Talbot, who leads the Revenue criminal investigation function said that organised crime is making money on the back of society. While I am talking about organised crime, in Limerick we are in a battle against the criminal gangs, which we are unfortunately not winning. This was cruelly seen over the weekend in the Ballincurra Weston, Garryowen and St. Mary's Park areas with shootings, petrol bombs and other attacks on homes, properties and cars.”
“A Mater hospital neurologist has reported on the increase in people presenting with nerve damage following consumption of so-called laughing gas. The more immediate impacts on the youths who use it in a social setting include numbness in their extremities, balance issues, increased heart rate and frostbite. Longer term there is real concern about its impact on the mental health of adolescents. The damage it does can be severe. Excessive use blocks the development of the coating that protects nerves and can lead to spinal cord damage. The aims of the Bill are straightforward and focus on the protection of our young people. It aims to make it hard for the product to be purchased by under 18-year-olds. Criminal gangs are aware of the profits they can make from selling this product.”
“The Bill is about protecting children, making it harder for them to purchase so-called laughing gas and ensuring that it is only sold for legitimate commercial and health purposes. Nitrous oxide has legitimate uses in health as a sedative and in the catering industry for use in whipped cream canisters. Unfortunately, and particularly since the Covid era, we have seen its misuse by some young people. Anyone, particularly those of us living in urban areas, will have seen the discarded so-called silver bullets on the footpaths and roadsides where young people congregate. They are literally littered all over parts of my city of Limerick. It is a drug that can have a long-term impact on health. A recent study found that health workers who have been exposed to small amounts of the gas can experience fertility issues.”
“Will the Minister of State advise how this change will assist these children who are waiting for 27 months or more for an assessment? These children need their assessments and they need to have them completed within the six-month period. What we and the children need to see is an urgent workforce plan to recruit and, more importantly, to retain the staff we have already to deliver this important service without breaching the rights of these children. Every month and every single day that an assessment is delayed impacts children.”
“Last week's announcement was an attempt to shift responsibility to schools and mask the failure overseen by this and previous Governments. However, I do note that each team will include a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist and an administrator. Where will they come from? Is it not a better approach to have a proper recruitment campaign and try to access the resources that exist that we have not been able to harness so far? The change will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an assessment of need for their children nor will it alter their statutory six month-timeframe in the Disability Act. It does not explain how the Government will achieve this legal obligation of accessing an assessment of need within a six-month period.”
“The removal of the need for a formal diagnosis to access a special class or special school placement and its replacement raises concerns, not only with me, but with the teachers' unions which said they were not consulted in advance of last week's announcement, which is disappointing to say the least. It is not acceptable for this responsibility to be pushed onto educators without them even being consulted. Decisions on the necessary supports should remain the responsibility of qualified educational and disability professionals.”
“My concern about the changes announced last week are that they risk deepening the chaos already prevalent in special education and that we are placing an additional administration burden on educators. In Limerick, for instance, 259 children are waiting for an assessment of need and none of them was met within the statutory timeline so the Government is failing those children with zero of 259 children having been met. The fact remains that the Government is in daily breach of the law by not honouring the requirement to provide an assessment of need within six months. I urge the Minister to initiate a new campaign to recruit people to services, to advertise it properly - unfortunately, that was not done the last time - and, if sufficient applications are not received, to expand the drive internationally if we need to do so.”
“More than 18,000 children are currently waiting for an assessment of need and this figure is expected to increase to between 22,000 and 25,000 by the end of the year. These are children whose lives are suspended. They are waiting for assessments so they can receive the medical and educational supports necessary for their continued development. As the Minister of State will be aware, early intervention is crucial and that intervention is being denied to many children. The long waiting lists affect development as they cannot access the supports they need. How will the changes the Minister proposed last week assist in rectifying this breach of the law?”
“Mary's Park are encouraged and helped to do the application, not to put in an application that often is not accepted. I very much welcome today's debate and the aims of the legislation. This cannot happen in isolation. We must reinvest in these communities. The State must engage with them so that we can limit the allure of a criminal lifestyle that, unfortunately, prevails in some of them.”
“These are two areas in what was called the Limerick regeneration area, which has come to a shuddering end and left many communities vulnerable without funding, as I have raised here before. Bizarrely, applications from the King's Island area were refused. It includes the St. Mary's Park area in the core of the city centre, the most disadvantaged small area in the whole State according to the Pobal deprivation index. As my colleague Deputy Mark Ward said earlier, some of our communities that we are doing our best to represent do not have the capacity to fill in the forms like other people do. Even if he is not accepting the amendment, I urge the Minister to look at the Pobal deprivation index and to consider measures whereby areas like St.”
“The Bedford Row Family Project does incredible work trying to break the cycle of imprisonment and crime. It could do with much more funding and increased resources through the community safety fund. I am not a member of the justice committee but I was with its members on Monday when we were able to visit Limerick Prison. The governor and other officials in the prison told us of the massive work the Bedford Row project did in making sure people did not reoffend. It is money well spent. The community safety fund for 2025 was positive for a number of organisations in Limerick, including the Moyross community centre, which got €150,000; and Our Lady of Lourdes Community Service Group, which got €135,877.”
“This is a welcome amendment and I hope the Minister will accept it. It should ensure that assets such as houses can be returned to the communities that have been impacted by crime. On the Bill more generally, I am particularly hopeful that the provision to restrict and freeze the financial accounts and immovable assets in a timelier manner will limit the ability of suspected criminals to use these assets. It is satisfying to see the wealth returned to the communities through the community safety fund, and this amendment should assist in returning the wealth to the communities that the criminals originally took it from. Limerick and other areas face a significant challenge with crime, yet at the same time we have fantastic local community projects across the city that do some great work with limited resources.”
“In an effort to exercise control, these criminals seek to destroy all that is good. A children's playground has become a no-go area for kids because one criminal gang has destroyed it and intimidates anybody else who tries to use it. Kids who want to do well in school, play sports and live normal lives are being taunted by the wealth of these often young criminals. These criminals drive around in nice cars, expensive trainers and top-brand clothes. They are often from families who do not work and never have. That sends the message that crime pays. That is a message we must always fight back against. The seizure of illegally gained assets, the seizure of properties purchased through criminal profits, is the most visible way of showing that this so-called success is only fleeting.”
“Vicious and heartless criminals take advantage and peddle their drugs to some of the most vulnerable in our communities. I understand why they do: the profits are huge. In Limerick, we have several criminal feuds bubbling in the background. Some relate to old family arguments but most pertain to the division of territory and the maximising of illegal profits from drugs, including crack cocaine. Those feuds have led to several violent attacks on property and persons. As I have said many times previously, it is a miracle that nobody has as yet lost their lives in these attacks. The communities most impacted by crime are great communities. I come from one myself. Some of the most wonderful and caring people reside in those areas. Criminal elements and those who seek to illegally gain profit do great damage to these communities.”
“The aim of Deputy Ward's amendment is positive as it seeks to ensure that the seized proceeds of crime are reintroduced into the communities that have been most impacted by these criminals. CAB has done a good job in identifying and recouping some of the proceeds of crime. The community safety fund, which I have spoken about previously, is extremely positive and does redirect money to the communities. However, I would say that, to date, not enough of that money has been redirected to those communities most impacted. That must change. In my home city of Limerick, we have some of the most deprived areas of the State. It is in conditions of deprivation that organised crime flourishes. It is in places where some people feel despondent that drug addiction becomes most prevalent.”
“Like my colleague, I am fully supporting this amendment to the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill. The amendment will make it more likely that the proceeds of crime are repurposed in the communities that are most impacted by crime. When I spoke on this Bill in July, I noted that any efforts that would deny criminals their gain from criminality are to be welcomed and that remains my firm position. It must be made obvious to anybody engaging in criminal activity that for those who profit, any gains will be fleeting and will be confiscated and returned, we hope, to the communities that have suffered and been damaged by criminality. There are many such communities in my home city of Limerick.”
“I request, even at this late stage, that an energy credit be introduced so that people, not just those with a disability, can heat themselves over the winter months. Will the Government do that?”
“Yesterday, campaigners from the Irish Wheelchair Association, Access for All, the Disability Federation of Ireland and others were outside Leinster House, as I am sure the Taoiseach is well aware. They were here because the recent budget has left people with disabilities up to €1,400 worse off. Many are afraid to heat their own homes, and they were very clear: people with disabilities are having to choose between heating and eating. That is what they said themselves. One of the protesters said that the budget was a disaster for families with disabilities. Another asked why they have to spend their lives fighting for the basics. Why do disabled people, their carers and often their families have to protest outside Leinster House? We are facing into a difficult winter, as the Taoiseach is well aware.”
“We have detailed steps that the Government must take if it is serious about living up to its legal and moral obligations to these children. Without a change in approach, waiting lists will continue to skyrocket, children will continue to be denied the essential education they deserve and are entitled to. Enough is enough. Please commit to emergency funding today.”
“In Limerick, 259 children are waiting for an assessment of need. As in other areas, not one child of those 259 has had an assessment completed within the statutory six months. Throughout the State, nine out of every ten children are not having their assessments completed on time. Campaigners such as 15-year-old Cara should not have to undertake such protests to have this failure addressed. It is high time the Government committed to and delivered on making emergency funding available. It is high time it committed to a timeframe for meeting the legal obligation to provide an assessment within six months, as is the law. It should need to demonstrate how it is going to recruit and retain staff for disability services. We have been in this Chamber before, urging the Government to act. Cara has been here before, urging the Government to act.”
“It allows for the necessary supports to be applied for. When children must wait beyond the legally required six months it impacts their development, their potential to live a positive life, to receive the right supports within the education system and to have the best opportunity to develop and thrive as all children should be allowed to do. The legal requirement is that an assessment be provided within six months. Failure to do so is a breach of the law, yet that is what the Government continues to do. The public should be under no illusion that the Government is just missing the targets or hitting the crossbar. The average wait time for an assessment of need is 27 months. Children are waiting two and a quarter years for an assessment of need in some places. That is a shameful failure.”
“It is shameful that the State continues to fail children when it comes to their rights under the Disability Act. It is shameful that not only has Cara had to embark on such a protest again but that the number waiting for an assessment of need has risen to over 18,000. A commitment to increase recruitment has not been followed through on. That is what prompted Cara to commence another protest. Those who live with a disability have been let down by this Government. The recent budget provided no support in the face of a rising cost-of-living crisis. It has failed to honour legal obligations on assessment of need. In every aspect, it has failed. When we discuss these figures, one can lose sight of why an early assessment is so important. An early assessment allows the family to plan the support that a child with a diagnosis needs.”
“Earlier today, I, along with others, had the pleasure of meeting with Cara Darmody. Despite her young age, Cara is an advocate and a champion of those with disabilities, not just her own family. She has one major demand and that is for the Government to comply with the legal obligation to ensure that all children receive an assessment of need within six months. She has been here before and, because of the failure, to deliver she is back again, compelled to do a second sleep-out for 50 hours outside the gates of Leinster House. It is incredible that a child is doing that in the weather we have at the moment. We should all, particularly those on the Government benches, be ashamed that this child has felt the need to undertake such a protest for a second time.”
“Our recent legislative proposal would have allowed the CRU to oversee the hedging practices of many energy companies and would have allowed sanction to be applied to any profiteering or anti-competitive behaviour discovered. In the short time I have left - I would go on much longer if I could - we must deal with the current reality of people struggling to pay their utility bills and particularly energy bills. People continue to struggle through this cost-of-living crisis while an inept, lethargic, out of touch and outdated Government sits on its hands, does nothing and abandons them to what will probably be the coldest winter we have experienced in years.”
“We are supposed to be a wealthy country and a country that looks after the most vulnerable. We are abandoning them in this when we do not need to. The average energy bill for a three-bedroom house now stands between €1,700 and €1,800 per year. Some home heating oil costs increased by €80 in one month. In addition, people have the cost of rent and groceries, meaning many families are barely hanging on financially. Consumers desperately need assistance, yet the recent €9.4 billion budget provided nothing to workers or families. The Government has compounded the cost-of-living crisis by failing to deliver cost-of-living supports and energy credits in the recent budget. It has further compounded this crisis by failing to tackle energy companies and failing to heed our calls to plug the regulatory gap in the energy market.”
“Arrears are being accumulated because the consumer price paid for energy utilities continues to increase. These increases come despite wholesale energy prices being 74% lower than in August 2022, not long after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A lot of people will not be aware that they are not getting an energy credit this year. A lot of older people have not realised it yet. They will be shocked when their bills come in and many will not be able to afford to pay them. In Sinn Féin's pre-budget submission, we provided for a €450 energy credit and something like that needs to be done. As we stand here tonight, it is freezing outside and, as other Deputies have said, some people will be afraid to put on the heat because they will not be able to afford the bill.”
“This week, the Irish Examiner , noted that the number of people switching energy providers is at a record high. In one month, 48,216 people switched providers. Would anyone blame them when they are being gouged, as the Taoiseach himself has said? Consumers are searching desperately for cheaper energy costs as the Government will not act, despite the State experiencing a cost-of-living crisis that continues to hit hard. In recent months, Bord Gáis Energy, Flogas, SSE Airtricity, Pinergy and Energia have all increased their consumer prices, adding hundreds of euro to the annual energy bill of many consumers. Nearly 300,000 households are in arrears on their electricity bills and almost two thirds of them have been in energy arrears for more than 90 days. This is an absolute crisis facing us.”
“If the legislation we propose had existed, once her abuser was convicted of his crime of sexual violence, a court could have imposed an order restraining him from approaching her on release. The introduction of civil protection orders is a sensible step for survivors. I urge all to support them. This is just one piece of the puzzle we need to address.”
“She also spoke about her tension and fear about her abuser's eventual release. She is from Limerick, which is a small enough city, where urban estates are only a short distance from each other. She is from such an estate, as was the criminal. She told of the abuse and of the anxiety faced by survivors during the court process they have to go through. She spoke of the knots in her stomach, the long trips to the court in Dublin to speak as a witness, and having to compose herself, only to have the sitting postponed a couple of times. She spoke about having to sit in the same room as the man who had abused her, having to recount the details of her life in front of a room of strangers and of the mental toll this took on her. She told us how she now has sleepless nights as his release date approaches.”
“It is not just about physical violence but the loss of financial independence and other forms of coercive control. Gender violence is as prevalent now as it ever was, only some of the weapons have changed. The figures from 2024 demonstrate this. One in five young women are or have been subjected to intimate relationship abuse. In 2024, gardaí responded to an average of 1,250 domestic abuse incidents per week. These are incredible figures that should really shame all of us. For me, the most compelling contribution on Saturday came not from the expert panellists but a contributor from the floor who is here in the Gallery. She has survived sexual violence, which she endured as a teenager. She gathered the courage to approach the Garda and, thankfully, following a lengthy court process her abuser was jailed.”
“I am just telling the Minister what the visitors told me. In fairness, I do listen to women when they contact me. I attended a conference in Limerick on Saturday on domestic and gender-based violence. The event was hosted by my colleague, Kathleen Funchion, MEP. It brought together experts - solicitors, gardaí, rape crisis representatives and, most importantly, many survivors of abuse. It was compelling to hear their stories, and to hear positive ideas and suggestions to make the system better, and on how we can educate young people so that the new generation will neither inflict nor suffer the pain. Those who spoke were clear that individuals within the system in many cases are compassionate, but the system itself is not. Domestic and gender-based violence is an all-of-society issue that impacts every socioeconomic group.”
“I wish to reference something the Minister of State said, which the Minister previously said, that is a bit of a red flag for me in regard to the protection orders for victims outlined in the Bill. It was that "we cannot guarantee support for the Bill on Committee Stage in the absence of clear and convincing arguments on its added value". If the Minister needs additional proof to be convinced, the people in the Gallery will convince him. They are the people we need to listen to. While I am talking about listening, I was contacted by one of the visitors in the Gallery who was concerned by what the Minister said. One person who was really upset and angry left. Other people were angry that the Minister was scrolling too long on his phone and not listening to what was being said. They were really upset.”
“I know many horse owners treat their ponies with care and compassion but the thuggish behaviour of a few impacts the reputation of all horse owners. It is time we stepped up and acted. There can be no tolerance for this abuse and anti-community behaviour cannot be tolerated.”
“I agree the local councils have an important role to play but the lead must come from the Department of agriculture. If the approach to enforcement by the Department laissez faire , it follows councils will not treat this matter with the emphasis and urgency it requires. If we enforce our existing laws, showing this behaviour will not be tolerated, we can protect these animals and improve our communities. We can give public spaces back to children. We can have clean footpaths and return pride to our communities. If we went as far as ensuring illegally parked horse boxes are removed and destroyed, it would show that those who ignore the law and those infractions will be punished. We can enhance our communities. Those good horse owners I referenced would have nothing to fear from legislation being enforced.”
“While the keeping of ponies and horses remains a tradition in many parts of Limerick, a tradition passed through the generations, unfortunately we cannot ignore that there are others who treat these animals with a lack of compassion and with cruelty. This type of mistreatment has been allowed to continue for years without robust State intervention. It is shameful. The critical issue here is enforcement of the law; enforcement of animal welfare laws included. We need to see a deterrent from the misuse of animals in urban areas. We need to offer more support to animal welfare groups. I am constantly contacted by groups such as Limerick Animal Welfare and My Lovely Horse project which do tremendous work but they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of calls they get and often there is little I can do to help them.”
“The reason the number of horses that were collected is down is that they are simply not being collected. The problem is just being ignored and let go. I appreciate the Minister of State's response but on the ground, the reality is this continues to be an issue, predominantly in working class estates. I have absolutely no doubt that if these horses were tied to a lamppost and destroying green areas in more affluent areas of our city, the State would, rightly, not tolerate it, intervene and do its job. It is not doing it in the working class areas. Why must those who live in working class communities have to endure what would not be tolerated anywhere else? It is simply not good enough anymore.”
“"With the Moyross Youth Academy, you know, they really help young people out", said Aoife Leonard, 14 years old, who is now a showjumper. Considering the lack of enforcement of chip-and-pin legislation despite the continuing presence of huge numbers of stray horses destroying many of our urban areas, is it the Minister of State's view that the Control of Horses Act 1996 is still fit for purpose?”
“There is no escaping that many young people in Limerick and beyond love their horses and, given the appropriate training, would make very caring horse owners. Urban horse projects give them an opportunity. A recent article in Changing Ireland magazine quoted a number of young kids, including Wesley Joyce, who is not a kid anymore, "If you invest your money into Moyross Youth Academy, you might win it back on a jockey someday." That was Wesley Joyce, over 50 times a national flat winner and, I hope, more. Another person said: For me, when you’re on a horse, the speed, just getting the feel off the horse, there’s no other feeling like that. My dream was to work with horses, but without Moyross Youth Academy I definitely wouldn’t be a jockey today. They’re very supportive. That was Terry Casey in Southill.”
“An Garda Síochána, which will need to assist, is often not available. The pound does not usually have the capacity to collect more than four or five horses at a time, and local gardaí have told me it is not worth their while and effort to assist in collecting so few horses. Why is this legislation not being enforced? Why are there not targeted efforts by the Minister of State's Department, in conjunction with local councils and the Garda, to take decisive action that demonstrates those abusers of animals and this type of situation will no longer be tolerated? I acknowledge as well that many people keep these animals and care for them very well. They abide by the laws and engage with urban horse projects.”
“Over the years, via numerous parliamentary questions, I have sought to see how many prosecutions there have been regarding the failure to chip and pin a horse. "None" is the answer I usually get. If a law is not enforced, it will not be abided by. In the past four years, an average of 92 horses were collected each year by Limerick council. However, up to October of this year, the council has collected 22 horses. This is a collapse in collecting horses, not fewer horses. The local authority, under the Government's watch, has abandoned communities and failed to collect these horses. The local authority will not collect horses in daylight, meaning there are very few horses around to collect at night-time, even though those horses can often be in the same green area for days on end.”
“Footpaths and open spaces are caked with manure and vacant houses are often commandeered without permission to stable these animals. The level of impunity is frustrating for citizens. If the Minister of State or I drive without an NCT, road tax or insurance, we will, correctly, be penalised, and yet those riding horses and sulkies, often young children, face no penalties. The risk posed by these animals, particularly given the inexperience of some of their riders, is a growing concern. Without decisive action, I fear injuries or even fatalities are inevitable. It is apparent that many left to care for these animals are children and teenagers. It is hard to believe, with such young owners, that any of these animals have been chipped and pinned as required by legislation.”
“They are often tied to lampposts with hardly any space to roam. A dirty bucket of water is often next to them and they are neglected for days on end. In many cases they are ridden, violently whipped and made wander streets without appropriate horseshoes. It is shameful to see these beautiful animals treated in such a manner. From a community perspective, the mistreatment of these animals has a real impact. I hear from local communities about the horses, and often foals, left injured and dead in their areas. Recently, I got a horse removed after it was lying dead at the back of someone's home for more than a week. This is incredibly unfair to local people. We see many green areas destroyed, areas that should be used by children to play.”
“Wandering and malnourished horses remains an issue in urban areas across the country. I have raised this many times over a number of years in this Chamber. It is an ongoing issue for Limerick. The late former Limerick TD, Mick Lipper, raised the issue in this House as far back as December 1977. Unfortunately, it remains a challenge that many Limerick communities continue to face. There remains a prevalence of horses in green areas and others are often stabled in derelict council houses or properties. In one day in February in the space of half an hour, I counted 50 horses grazing in urban areas. During my regular visits to many of Limerick's urban areas, it is apparent that there has been no reduction in the number of horses. Unfortunately, it has got worse. From an animal welfare perspective, these horses appear malnourished.”