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Headline News: Many Travellers have faced the difficulty of seeing impounded horses transported half way across the country to a pound far away from where the horses were seized. In a court case last week in Waterford, Travellers have been given the right to get their horses returned to them without charge if they are removed from the county where they were picked up. If your horse was taken after June 2000, and removed to another county to be impounded, you can go to the courts to get your money back. Contact Dave McCarthy 086 2853531 for more information.
Cork Traveller Horse Project
Many Travellers have had the unpleasant experience of having their horses taken to be impounded under the Control of Horses Act. We have researched the availability of land to rent, and found that there is little chance that Travellers will find land in open market conditions.
We learned that any local authority can apply to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry for funding to buy land to help Travellers stay connected with this important cultural element of their lives.
With the support of a group of horse owners in Cork city we prepared an outline proposal of how a horse project might be run. Cork Corporation responded to this proposal in May 2000 by agreeing to buy some land for rent to Traveller horse owners on a pilot basis. In September, without explanation, they changed their decision, and decided instead to refer the idea to Cork County Council. Despite three years of discussions between City and County Council officials and elected representatives, there has been no movement whatever on this issue. meanwhile, the development of one halting site (Spring Lane) into a Group Housing Scheme, has been delayed by this.
We have tried a number of different possible ideas, all without success so far:
- We asked the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to allow farmers to rent "SETASIDE" land to Traveller horse owners.
- We worked with a group of 12 horse owners to examine the possibilitiesof buying 60 acres of land on a long mortgage.
- We asked the Department of Finance to consider allowing farmers a tax exemption on earnings from renting land to Traveller horse owners.
- We approached Travellers to support them to rent land advertised in the newspapers. (This worked in a small number of cases)
- We supported Travellers to tender for land rented on an 11-month basis by Cork County Council.
Start Here >> The Work We Do >> The Horse Project
