Vol. 564 No. 3
28 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will increase the grant of ?6,689 to the Cats Protection Association of Ireland in view of the fact that the number of feral, and often disease ridden, cats is growing so fast that they are set to outnumber the human population of Dublin and the cost of putting down each animal or neutering is at least ?10. [9215/03]
My Department does not operate any specific schemes of financial assistance for animal welfare bodies. In recent years however, I have made ex gratia funding available to a number of appropriate bodies involved in the delivery of animal care and welfare services throughout the country, having regard to resources available to me from within the Department's Vote at end-year. In December 2002 grants totalling €500,000 were awarded to 67 organisations to assist them in their activities. The organisations concerned had approached the Department seeking assistance.
Details of the organisations that have been approved for funding and the amounts for each organisation are detailed in the table which will be circulated in the Official Report. The grants given to animal welfare bodies in 2002 bring to €2.914 million the assistance given by my Department to animal welfare bodies throughout the country since 1995.
A grant of €6,689 was paid to the Cats Protection Association of Ireland in December 2002 under the end-of-year exercise in the context of the resources available in my Department's Vote at that time. I will consider any requests for aid in respect of this year from cat protection organisations in the light of resources that are available and having regard to any competing claims for grant assistance, which may be submitted by other welfare bodies many of whom deal with various categories of animals, including cats towards the end of the year.
I should point out that a formal statutory framework for cat control is already provided for under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, which is administered by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. That Act provides for the introduction of regulations in relation to cats, which would allow the local authority to take possession of unwanted cats. Section 33 of the Act would enable the Minister to make grants towards the expenses of a local authority or to any person concerned with the provision of homes or shelters for stray or unwanted cats or with the welfare of cats.
|
Organisation |
GrantAllocated |
|
€ |
|
|
Assisi Animal Rescue Centre |
6,689 |
|
Clare SPCA Clonaghan |
6,689 |
|
Animal Refuge Kilty |
6,689 |
|
Cork SPCA |
10,033 |
|
Collon Animal Sanctuary |
8,696 |
|
The Daisy Fund |
6,689 |
|
Dog Rescue Ireland |
5,351 |
|
Dogs Aid |
5,351 |
|
Dublin SPCA |
24,749 |
|
Dungarvan SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Friends of Animal Rescue |
6,689 |
|
Hillview Animal Sanctuary |
6,689 |
|
ISPCA |
16,722 |
|
Kerry SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Kildare Animal Foundation |
13,378 |
|
Kildare SPCA |
10,033 |
|
Kingdom Cats Protection |
5,351 |
|
Laois SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Leitrim Animal Welfare |
6,689 |
|
Limerick Animal Welfare |
6,689 |
|
Limerick SPCA |
10,033 |
|
Longford SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Louth SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Mayo Animal Sanctuary |
6,689 |
|
Mayo Animal Welfare |
6,689 |
|
Meath SPCA |
10,033 |
|
Monaghan SPCA |
6,689 |
|
North County Dublin SPCA |
6,689 |
|
North West Cat Rescue |
6,689 |
|
Offaly SPCA |
6,689 |
|
PAWS Animal Rescue |
10,702 |
|
Whiskers New Park Animal Sanctuary (Cats) |
5,351 |
|
Petwatch Co. Ltd. Animal Welfare and Rescue |
6,689 |
|
Roscommon SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Roscrea SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Sligo SPCA |
6,689 |
|
The Animal Care Society |
5,351 |
|
The Animal Rescue Centre |
5,351 |
|
The Irish Blue Cross |
26,756 |
|
The Cats Protection Association of Ireland |
6,689 |
|
The Donkey Sanctuary |
26,756 |
|
Tipperary Friends of Animals |
5,351 |
|
Tipperary SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Waterford SPCA |
6,689 |
|
West Cork Animal Welfare Group |
6,689 |
|
Westmeath SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Westown Animal Shelter |
6,689 |
|
Wexford SPCA |
6,689 |
|
Wicklow SPCA |
10,033 |
|
Galway SPCA |
10,033 |
|
Canine Care Castlejordan |
4,348 |
|
Donegal Pet Rescue |
4,348 |
|
Kerry Canine Centre Neutering Scheme |
4,348 |
|
Clare Animal Welfare |
4,348 |
|
Wildlife Rescue |
4,348 |
|
Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature |
4,348 |
|
Beatrix Urban Uisneach Border Collie Rescue |
4,348 |
|
Animal Welfare Foundation |
4,348 |
|
A.S.H. Animal Sanctuary |
4,348 |
|
New Ross ISPCA |
4,348 |
|
Mayo SPCA |
4,348 |
|
Clondalkin Animal Aid |
4,348 |
|
Irish Horse Protection League |
4,348 |
|
Florence O'Connor |
4,348 |
|
The Athlone & West Midlands Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals |
4,348 |
|
Enniscorthy SPCA |
4,348 |
|
Donegal SPCA |
4,348 |
|
Total |
500,000 |
