Control of Horses Act, 1996

Interpretation.

2.—(1) In this Act—

“authorised person” means a person appointed as an authorised person under section 3 ;

“control area” means an area declared to be a control area under section 17 ;

“dispose of” includes to sell or to give away or have destroyed, and cognate words shall be construed accordingly;

“dwelling” does not include any stable, outoffice, yard, garden or other land appurtenant to the dwelling or usually enjoyed therewith;

“foal” means a horse not exceeding one year of age which is being suckled by its dam or foster-mother;

“functions” includes powers and duties;

“horse” includes donkey, mule and hinny;

“horse licence” means a licence granted by a local authority under section 20 ;

“local authority” means—

(a) in the case of an administrative county, the council of the county, and

(b) in the case of a county borough, the corporation of the county borough,

and references to the functional area of a local authority shall be construed accordingly;

“Minister” means the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry;

“pound” means a pound provided under the Pounds (Provision and Maintenance) Act, 1935 , or a private pound (within the meaning of section 5 of the Animals Act, 1985 );

“premises” includes any house or land or water and any fixed or moveable structure therein and also includes vessels, vehicles, trains, aircraft and other means of transport;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations;

“public place” means any street, road, seashore, park, land, field or other place to which the public have access, whether by right or by permission, whether with or without vehicles, and whether subject to or free of charge;

“regulations” means regulations made by the Minister;

“reserved function” means—

(a) in the case of the council of a county, a reserved function for the purposes of the County Management Acts, 1940 to 1994, and

(b) in the case of the corporation of a county borough, a reserved function for the purposes of enactments relating to the management of the county borough;

“stray horse” means a horse apparently wandering at large, lost, abandoned or unaccompanied (whether tethered or untethered) by any person apparently in charge of it in a public place or on any premises without the owner's or occupier's consent;

“Superintendent” means the Superintendent of the Garda Síochána for the area in which a horse is seized or detained under section 37 ;

“veterinary surgeon” means any person who is for the time being registered in the register of veterinary surgeons established and maintained under the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1931 .

(2) For the purposes of this Act a person who is the head of a household of which a member under the age of 16 years owns a horse shall be deemed to own the horse.

(3) In this Act—

(a) a reference to a section is a reference to a section of this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended,

(b) a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph is a reference to the subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended, and

(c) a reference to an enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended, adapted or extended by or under any subsequent enactment including this Act.