In 1999 I met with representatives of the Irish Seal Sanctuary at their request to discuss their future plans for the sanctuary and officials from my Department later examined their draft development plan. The Irish Seal Sanctuary has made many approaches in the past for aid in running its existing facility at Garristown but the fact remains that the proposed new sanctuary is a rehabilitation facility, which would cater for a relatively small number of injured seals rather than contributing to the overall conservation of the species, which is my concern.
I have made it clear on previous occasions in this House that my responsibility under the Wildlife Acts is to protect seals and other species to ensure the conservation of the species as a whole. The work of the Irish Seal Sanctuary is primarily of a welfare nature, and as such does not come within the remit of my Department. While I recognise the continuing excellence of the work carried out by the seal sanctuary, such work does not, from a conservation point of view, impact significantly on overall seal numbers. The Deputy will appreciate, therefore, that the question of funding from my Department does not arise.