Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
507. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase funding for organisations such as the Blue Cross, which provide low-cost veterinary services, in order to create a system, along the lines of the United Kingdom's People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, whereby comprehensive low-cost veterinary care is widely and easily accessible and based on ability to pay. [30999/15]
View answerMy Department has provided funding to animal welfare organisations, such as the Blue Cross, since 1995 to assist these organisations in providing a valuable service in the area of animal care and welfare. To date, the Blue Cross has been awarded funding amounting to in excess of €712,000, including an amount of €70,000 awarded in December 2014 to support its work. Applications for funding are assessed by my Department and awards are made on the basis of certain criteria, including the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals, the level of expansion of activities together with the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities. The Blue Cross has submitted an application for funding this year setting out the charity’s current and future plans for promoting animal welfare and this is currently being processed by my officials. A decision on funding levels will be made in December 2015.
