My Department does not operate any specific schemes of financial assistance for animal welfare bodies. In recent years however, I have made ex gratia funding available to a number of appropriate bodies involved in the delivery of animal care and welfare services throughout the country, having regard to resources available to me from within the Department's Vote at end-year. In December 2002 grants totalling €500,000 were awarded to 67 organisations to assist them in their activities. The organisations concerned had approached the Department seeking assistance.
Details of the organisations that have been approved for funding and the amounts for each organisation are detailed in the table which will be circulated in the Official Report. The grants given to animal welfare bodies in 2002 bring to €2.914 million the assistance given by my Department to animal welfare bodies throughout the country since 1995.
A grant of €6,689 was paid to the Cats Protection Association of Ireland in December 2002 under the end-of-year exercise in the context of the resources available in my Department's Vote at that time. I will consider any requests for aid in respect of this year from cat protection organisations in the light of resources that are available and having regard to any competing claims for grant assistance, which may be submitted by other welfare bodies many of whom deal with various categories of animals, including cats towards the end of the year.
I should point out that a formal statutory framework for cat control is already provided for under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, which is administered by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. That Act provides for the introduction of regulations in relation to cats, which would allow the local authority to take possession of unwanted cats. Section 33 of the Act would enable the Minister to make grants towards the expenses of a local authority or to any person concerned with the provision of homes or shelters for stray or unwanted cats or with the welfare of cats.