Limerick council bill for seizing loose horses is €17k a month

LIMERICK City and County Council is spending almost €5,000 a week locating and seizing loose horses, it can be revealed.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show the local authority spent just over €17,300 impounding horses over a three week period in January.

According to documents released to this newspaper, a total of 23 horses were seized at 11 different locations across the city and county on dates between January 9 and January 29.

This means the average cost to the council of seizing each horse was just over €752.

Of the horses which were seized, 16 were female while the remaining seven were male.

The vast majority of the unlicensed horses were located in areas the city such as Glasgow Park, Ballinacurra Gardens, Moyross, Ballynanty and at a commercial premises on the Dock Road.

Three horses were also seized from the grounds of Mayorstone garda station on January 25 while the single biggest seizure – of five horses – was made on January 24 at Groody Roundabout during the morning rush hour.

In the county, a single male horse was impounded near the village of Athlacca on January 9 while two female horses were seized in Meanus three days later.

According to Limerick City and County Council a foal was among the 23 horses seized in January while another horse was described as being “aged”.

It’s not known how many of the horses, if any, were claimed by their owners following the publication of statutory notices by the council following each seizure. 

Each notice warned the horses would be disposed of if not claimed within five days of the seizure.

The local authority has confirmed a large number of loose horses were also seized during operations in February and earlier this month.