The issue I am raising is the future of the Irish Seal Sanctuary. This is one of those issues that is not earth shattering in any sense. This is something for which, in the good times, one would hope that a Government could find money. It would be very marginal in times of financial stringency, etc.
The Irish Seal Sanctuary has operated for 14 years in Fingal, north County Dublin. I know of its operation and it is in my immediate area. I know the people involved, to whom I would have the highest commitment. I have no connection with it other than that. Over the past 14 years they have looked after more than 100 distressed seals, and they have done a lot more than that. They have developed procedures for seal handling and for veterinary care. They have been in the news many times and have created a new understanding of the needs in this area and have received much public support.
They have the most basic of facilities – they really started from nothing. I give credit to Mr. Brendan Price, who was formerly working in the Zoo, and who is a qualified expert in the animal field. They started off working without the most basic facilities. They have a couple of mobile homes which have been transformed into mobile hospitals where they can deal with the seals. They have two overground pools filled with water for the seals. They have also two excavated areas, which are lined and waterproof, which they also use for the seals when they develop more and can cope with each other socially and in groups.
This is all in the back garden of the home of Brendan and Mary Price in Tobergregan in Garristown. This country owes those people for their commitment. I would also like to put on record what they are trying to do, which is to develop this into something much bigger. To that end they have received a lot of support, support that should be recognised, from Fingal County Council, and in particular from Mr. Willie Soffe who is the Fingal County Manager. He has been extraordinarily supportive of them personally and by way of encouragement. Also Fingal County Council has given them financial support over the years, something which has been discussed by them on many occasions.
The point of my proposal is that recently Fingal County Council very generously, and with great vision, made a new site in Donabate available to the Irish Seal Sanctuary, which is adjacent to the sea, in an absolutely appropriate place to develop a proper seal sanctuary. They now have the site and the expertise but they need the money to develop the site. Ireland is the only coastal European Union nation without a national seal sanctuary. I do not expect that to make national headlines tomorrow morning, but to put it in context, it would be seen as a responsible thing for a member of the European Community, particularly a seafaring and a fishing nation like ourselves, that we would show a certain consideration in this area and respond to it.
The seal sanctuary has a coastal site of up to seven acres and the workers are available 24 hours a day. They are providing a service which will probably have to be provided by somebody, sometime, somewhere. If a basking shark is stranded, or if a seal comes ashore injured, somebody has to look after it. At the moment the people doing this are on 24 hour call and need support.
To look after these mammals when they arrive – they may need veterinary care or other attention – would cost up to £2,000 a time. They are operating on a shoestring and they are making it work. I ask the Minister to put it to his colleague, Deputy McCreevy, that a small investment could be found in his budget to give these people support and to get this project off the ground. I am sure they will come calling again because these things never actually go away. We have talked in this House before about the importance of local government – the local authority is completely committed to this, is very supportive and has shown this by giving them a site.
Could we take this to a national level? These people are fulfilling a national function. The Irish Seal Sanctuary is something we can be proud of. It has shown us to be a caring nation in many ways. I ask the Minister to suggest to his colleague in Government that, in the budget, money would be provided for the development of the seven acre site in Donabate which has been given by Fingal County Council to the Irish Seal Sanctuary so they can continue to provide an expanded and comprehensive service.
