Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has called for a fresh clampdown on sulky racing due to significant animal welfare concerns relating to the activity.
In a statement to RTÉ News, the Fine Gael TD for Kildare South said the activity on public roads and motorways "is not acceptable to me from both an animal welfare and road safety perspective".
Mr Heydon added that he wants to prioritise addressing the issue.
Speaking on the same weekend as hundreds of people took part in an animal welfare protest in Co Tipperary after the death of a horse in a collision with a car while it was involved in a sulky race in Clonmel in March, Minister Heydon said action is needed.
He said he will in the coming days speak to Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien to discuss the issue further.
The minister said the matter is likely to form part of his upcoming five-year animal welfare strategy.
He said: "I take the issue of animal welfare very seriously, and I am finalising our next five-year animal welfare strategy where I will be laying out my key priorities in the sector.
"Last year, my department allocated over €6m to a wide range of animal welfare groups who carry out great work around the country."
Minister Heydon said sulky racing on roads and motorways "is not acceptable to me from both an animal welfare and road safety perspective".
"It is something I am raising with my colleagues in Government through the departments of transport and justice," he added.
The minister said fellow Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy "is also seeking to establish an inter-departmental working group to tackle this in his capacity as chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and I am supporting him from the animal welfare perspective".
"People who willfully neglect animals will face the full rigours of the law," he said.
"I will continue to work with colleagues in Government to ensure that those laws are sufficiently robust and properly enforced," Minister Heydon added.
The comments follow a protest yesterday in Co Tipperary in support of animal welfare after the March incident involving a horse during a sulky race.
The Walk in Solidarity protest from Irishtown to the Plaza in Clonmel was organised by Labour councillor Michael Brennan and Independent councillor Liam Browne, as well as animal welfare charity My Lovely Horse Rescue.
"When it comes to animal cruelty and road safety, action has to be taken," Mr Brennan told RTÉ News.
He added: "If I never get a pothole filled, but could do something on this, I’d be very happy."
My Lovely Horse Rescue is calling for a ban on the use of sulkies on public roads.
