Horses wandering freely around the roads of Dublin are causing a "grave risk" to motorists, the Minister of State the Department of Agriculture, Mr Noel Davern, claimed today.
Mr Davern said he was speaking out after a number of recent reports of unattended horses being seen on the streets.
"In the context of efforts to reduce the level of road accidents, it is wholly unacceptable that this continues to manifest itself," he said.
"In urban areas, wandering horses constitute a particular risk to property, to the very young and to the elderly - in addition to the risk they pose for motorists."
Horses on the roads have presented driving difficulties in parts of Dublin for years, and the danger has persisted despite frequent Government-backed efforts to get rid of the problem.
Mr Davern said the Control of Horses Act of 1996 had been implemented to address the issue and permitted horses to be seized and other measures to be taken.
"Real progress has been made, but in the interests of public safety we must all remain committed to ensuring that the phenomenon of horses wandering on increasingly busy public roads and in urban areas is eliminated," he added.