Vol. 567 No. 1
389 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will assist the Irish Seal Sanctuary in the provision of a national marine conservation centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13865/03]
I have previously acknowledged the excellent work which has been done by the Irish Seal Sanctuary in rehabilitating small numbers of seals. However, given the limited resources available to my Department for wildlife conservation and protection, grant assistance in this area must realistically be targeted at projects which will maximise conservation prospects. There is an abundant population of seals in Irish waters and the species is not endangered in conservation terms. On this basis, I regret that funding of the Irish Seal Sanctuary facility by my Department cannot be justified at this time.
