People Before Profit Councillor Gino Kenny has condemned South Dublin County Council on its mass impounding which took place over the October Bank holiday weekend. Over seventy two horses were impounded on private land near Adamstown Lucan. SDCC stated that the reason for there impounding was that the horses were in a “controlled area” and the horses were not licensed.Councillor Gino Kenny who has worked closely with horse owners in Clondalkin said “What South Dublin County Council have done here is near criminal. They have impounded over seventy horses, giving most horse owners only five days to make up the €700 plus release fee for their horse. To date only twenty horses have been claimed, meaning over fifty horses will now be put down because owners can’t put the money together is this short time. These horses are family pets in some cases. It will now cost the council a small fortune to pay the contractor to dispose of the horses.

“What the council don’t see is trauma they have caused to the horses and their owners over the past eight days. These horses were in no way neglected, they just happened not to have a licence, which I think in any civil society is not a punishment by death. This council which I’m an elected member calls itself progressive, but this is retrogressive when it comes to equine in Clondalkin. The situation with horses won’t go away by impounding every horse in Clondalkin. The council needs to work with horse owners not against them. Other councils in Dublin pacifically Fingal County Council are thinking outside the box when it comes to horse management in their county. Antagonising horse owners is completely counter productive”