Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018
398. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to ensure that local authorities have the necessary resources to prevent cruelty to animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28637/18]
View answerMy Department works closely with local authorities in the animal welfare sphere. The Control of Horses Act 1996 details powers available to local authorities for the control and welfare of horses. Section 15 of the Act provides that the Minister for Agriculture, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may make grants towards the expenses of a local authority incurred under the Act. In this regard my Department provided funding of €533,839 to local authorities in 2017 to assist with their work in control of stray and abandoned horses.
In addition to funding from Central Government such as the above and funding received from the Local Government Fund, local authorities receive the money from dog licensing to directly sub vent the work of their dog wardens.
Animal cruelty is a matter that is dealt with by a wider range of organisations, in particular my department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the ISPCA and DSPCA. The latter are some of the many recipients of the considerable ex-gratia funding which my department provides to underpin important work done by many organisations in the area of supporting animal welfare. I announced in December 2017 the largest ever Department allocation of funding to animal welfare organisations of €2,560,000. A total of 111 organisations will benefit under these arrangements.
My Department has also taken a proactive approach to reducing problems in the horse area by developing facilities for urban and traveller horse populations and in educating young people among these communities in the care and welfare of horses. Again this work is done in close collaboration with local authorities involved.
