Mary Flaherty
Ceist:111 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Education whether she will publish the report on the future of Dublin Zoo; and the action, if any, she is proposing to take as a result of the findings of the report.
Written Answers. - Dublin Zoo Report.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:238 Trevor Sargent asked the Minister for Education if she will publish the Doyle Committee report on its inquiry into Dublin Zoo; the reason the Doyle Committee Report on Dublin Zoo has never been made public; and the reason the principal findings of the Doyle Committee report on Dublin Zoo have been ignored.
Eamon Gilmore
Ceist:241 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Education the total cost of commissioning and preparing the Doyle Report on Dublin Zoo; if she will publish this report; the steps, if any, she has taken to implement the recommendations of the report; the total amount of public money paid to the Zoo since the Doyle Report was received; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ben Briscoe
Ceist:267 Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Education when it is proposed to publish the report on the Dublin Zoo which was commissioned in 1989 and completed in 1990; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ben Briscoe
Ceist:268 Mr. Briscoe asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the wellbeing of the larger animals in Dublin Zoo such as the elephants, polar bears, hippopotami and gorillas; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 238, 241, 267, and 268 together.
A decision has not been taken on the question of publishing the report on the future of Dublin Zoo. As indicated in replies to previous parliamentary questions on this matter there are a number of substantial issues to be decided to which the publication of the report is related.
The question of publishing the report and decisions to be taken arising from the report are matters for the Government, and the intention is to have these matters brought before the Government as soon as possible.
Concerning the wellbeing of animals in the Zoo my Department has no function in the matter. This is primarily a matter for the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland which is a private body. The Department of Agriculture and Food has a monitoring role in relation to the welfare of animals in the Zoo and carries out periodic inspections.
The total cost of commissioning and preparing the Doyle report was £55,600, and the amount of money paid to the Zoo since the report was received was £1.37 million.