I welcome the delegation and wish them well in their new group.

Two days ago, on bank holiday Monday just gone, there was a sulky race of up to six sulkies on Dollymount Strand. A young horse carrying a foal was part of the race. On its way back towards Ballyfermot on the N4, the horse collapsed from exhaustion. The poor horse was given the name "Anne" by the amazing staff and volunteers in My Lovely Horse Rescue. The poor horse had severe and deep wounds and was seen skidding along the ground for 30 m to 40 m. Anne, the horse, was seen being whipped and kicked to get back up. She did not get back up because she could not physically get back up. Her cowardly abusers fled the scene and left the poor horse to die.

My Lovely Horse Rescue and a kind vet from Highfield Veterinary brought her for treatment to University College Dublin, UCD, but the horse and foal were sadly put to sleep. We always hear about how urban horse owners love their horses. Now is the time for them to prove it. They know who brutalised and killed this poor horse. If this animal abuser was okay to brutalise the horse and foal in public, imagine the suffering and pain that poor horse was dealt in private. How many more horses are treated like this by urban and rural horse owners? Those who know who it was need to put their money where their mouths are and expose the abusers of this horse and foal. I ask that anyone with dashcam footage please make it available to the Garda.

For the Government, it is really clear that we need to have a special animal welfare unit to investigate these sorts of incidents and the ongoing abuse of animals. There have to be consequences for people who show this sort of brutality to horses and animals and dogs and cats. There are and have been no, or very minimal, consequences, and it is just not good enough. Ongoing lawlessness is impacting so many communities, and Government needs to act. I ask that the Minister for agriculture or Minister for justice come into the Chamber to ensure we have a debate around lawlessness and the abuse of animals and what needs to be done. It is clear more needs to be done, and it needs to be done as a matter of urgency.