Warning as horses pose danger to public

LOOSE horses could pose a serious danger to the public, a Northside community group has warned.

Darndale Community Pride Project, a local environmental initiative, issued the warning following an upsurge in the problem in recent weeks.

Nicko Murphy, PRO for the Darndale Belcamp Village Centre and speaking on behalf of the project, said the problem was

“very serious

?.

“Last week alone the Darndale Community Pride Project reported a total of 78 loose horses in the space of five days,

? Mr Murphy told Northside People.

“Some of these may have been duplicated reports but not in all instances.

“It is not uncommon to see 14 to 16 horses in one patch of field in Belcamp and another 15 to 20 in the Darndale Park area.

“There are then several cases where horses are tethered to garden railings throughout the community.

“It is unfair and cruel to the animal to be kept in a tiny front garden with extremely limited mobility.

“From what we can see, the problem is getting worse and without intervention from other organisations and vigilance from the local community it will continue to worsen.

?

Mr Murphy said there was a danger to the entire community and the animals.

“When the horses are running loose, there is a risk of a child being trampled, pedestrians being kicked or bitten or vehicles and property being damaged,

? he stated.

“We have reports and photos of horses wandering into front gardens and the homeowners are afraid to leave their houses.

“Not only is there a risk to the public but the animals are at risk too of wandering out in front of cars on the N32 or on local main roads in the community like the Priorswood or Malahide roads, which are both quite busy at any time of the day.

“Recently a horse wandered out in front of a car and as a result was killed from the injuries it sustained.

“The consequent damage to the car had to be repaired by the owner with no responsible party to claim ownership of the horse.

“There is always the risk of incidents like this when horses are let loose or break free in urban, built up areas.

?

Mr Murphy said the Darndale Community Pride Project has been aware of the horse issue for some time.

“Since January we have been very consistent in reporting all cases to Dublin City Council’s Horse Control Unit,

? he stated.

“We have an environmental worker out in the community every day checking the area for horses, illegal dumping, graffiti and other anti-social behaviour.

“When the daily report comes back to us, we then send the findings onto the relevant authorities via email and we usually get a positive response and action is taken in the next 24 hours.

“These checks are done daily so we can see where the black spots are and keep track of how they are being dealt with.

?

Mr Murphy said urban environments were no place to keep horses.

“It is unfair and dangerous to the animals and to the residents living in the community,

? he said.

“There needs to be stricter enforcement in the community, not just from organisations and Dublin City Council but also from local residents who have expressed their frustration and anger.

“As a community we need to tackle the issue with a zero tolerance policy, and with the help and support of Dublin City Council we can find a long-term solution to the problem.

?

Mr Murphy added:

“The Darndale Community Pride Project is committed to making the area a cleaner and safer place to live.

?

In a statement, Dublin Bay North TD Sean Kenny (Lab) said the city council’s Horse Control Unit has been very helpful in removing horses from the area.

“Local people have been a great support in helping them to deal with this issue,

? stated Deputy Kenny.

“Keeping horses around Darndale Belcamp is not good for the horses; it is bad for their health and they are not able to get the care that they deserve.

“I would call on people not to keep horses in Darndale Belcamp and to become more aware of how it affects the horses, as well as the local community, and to get involved with ensuring that this doesn’t happen.”

A spokeswoman for Dublin City Council told Northside People it did not have anything further to add to Deputy Kenny’s statement at this time.