Vol. 545 No. 1
156 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the amount of money made available to the various animal welfare groups each year for the past three years and to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29778/01]
My Department does not operate any specific schemes of financial assistance to animal welfare bodies. In recent years, however, I have made ex gratia funding available to a number of appropriate bodies, having regard to moneys available to me from within the Department's Vote at the end of the year. Grants issued to organisations involved in the delivery of animal care and welfare services throughout the country totalled £210,000 to ten organisations in 1998, £312,000 to 22 organisations in 1999 and £487,500 to 43 organisations in 2000. The organisations concerned had approached the Department during each of the years in question seeking financial assistance.
As the payment of such aid is invariably an end of year exercise dependent on the resources available within the Department's Vote, any disbursements for 2001 will again be entirely contingent on funds being available for this purpose. Subject to that proviso, my Department will in due course assess the approaches made by various animal welfare bodies during the current year.
