Urgent safety plan needed for horse-drawn vehicles on roads – Murphy

There’s a glaring gap in road safety laws surrounding the use of horse-drawn vehicles, a Fine Gael TD said.

Deputy Michael Murphy, Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee said: “A recent incident in Clonmel was shocking and deeply distressing. It resulted not only in a serious risk to public safety, but also in the tragic death of a horse.

“This was an entirely avoidable situation. It exposed a deeply concerning reality where young individuals were placed in control of powerful animals on public roads, creating a clear danger to themselves, to other road users, and ultimately to the animal itself.”

Deputy Murphy said it is clear this situation can’t continue, and he is calling for a co-ordinated national response to regulate horse-drawn vehicles on public roads.

“This issue sits across multiple policy domains — including road safety, animal welfare, and enforcement — and

therefore requires a whole-of-government approach.

“At present, the regulatory landscape is fragmented. While provisions exist under the Control of Horses Act 1996 and elements of road traffic legislation, enforcement remains inconsistent and largely dependent on local authority bye-laws. This patchwork approach is not sufficient to address what is clearly an urgent national issue”

Deputy Murphy is calling for the establishment for an interdepartmental working group involving the Departments of Transport, Agriculture and Justice to examine road safety risks, strengthen animal welfare protections and address enforcement powers available to An Garda Síochána and local authorities.

“The scenes witnessed in Clonmel recently did shine a light on a practice that is happening without adequate governance and there must be action on foot of it.

“There is clearly a safety risk here, both to animals and to the greater public and a co-ordinated review and plan must be put together to safeguard against any further incidents,” he concluded.