Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
2093. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assessment process involved in determining the amount of ex-gratia funding that is allocated for individual animal welfare organisations annually; the reason that an organisation (details supplied) did not receive any increase in ex-gratia funding between 2020 and 2021 [42119/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for annual funding from animal welfare organisations are assessed carefully and awards are made on the basis of objective criteria. These include the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals and the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities.
To be eligible for funding, applicant organisations must be registered charities and must supply detailed information on their governance arrangements and financial records.
In 2021, to further enhance the impact of public funding for animal welfare bodies nationwide, my Department aligned our funding model with the animal welfare policies, objectives and priorities outlined in Together for Animal Welfare, Ireland's Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025. Consequently, the assessment of funding placed emphasis on the ‘One Health, One Welfare’ approach to education and dissemination of knowledge to improve animal welfare delivered by the organisations.
As with all applicants the organization in question was assessed under the robust process and criteria outlined above and was awarded €48,500 in 2021.
