Minister Coughlan announces grants of €1.2 million to Animal Welfare bodies countrywide
"PETS ARE NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS" - COUGHLANThe Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan TD, today announced that she had approved ex-gratia payments totalling €1.2m to 94 organisations involved in the direct delivery of animal care and welfare services to assist in their work during 2007. The grants are being paid immediately.
The Minister said that this year's disbursement would assist the greatest number of animal welfare organisations in any year since the Department first made ex-gratia payments in 1995. It brings the total amount of assistance provided by the Department to organisations since then to €7.192m.
"The months after Christmas are sadly the busiest time for animal welfare organisations. Pets given at Christmas, from puppies to kittens or guinea pigs, grow up quickly, needing more food and attention or a trip to the vet. All of this can take time and money and the novelty of owning a pet can wear off for children."
Minister Coughlan also said that she was delighted to be able to help these largely voluntary organisations again this year. She added: "These bodies do excellent work throughout the country in delivering animal care and welfare services. I would like to pay tribute to all involved in the organisations and in particular to the efforts and sacrifices made by them in circumstances that are often difficult. I am well aware of the increasing demands on their services and I hope that the assistance I am providing will be of help to each of the bodies concerned in sustaining their efforts through the coming year. I recognise that such funding, however welcome, does not cover the full costs to these bodies of meeting all the demands made on them. They will continue to need the support of the general public to maintain their operations at effective levels and I would appeal to the public to continue to give that support in any way they can."
The Minister also said that in addition to their other activities, the ISPCA and various county SPCAs are involved with the Department and the IFA in the operation of the Early Warning/Intervention System for farm animal welfare cases arising from a recommendation from the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC).
The Minister appealed to people to act responsibly and with foresight in relation to giving pets as Christmas presents and in particular to heed the good advice given by animal welfare organisations in this regard.
The organisations that have been approved for funding and the amounts for each organisation are detailed in the attached table.
13 December, 2006
| Allocation | |
| Organisation | 2006 |
| € | |
| Animal In Need, Co Donegal | 2,000 |
| Animal Rescue Skibbereen, Co Cork | 2,000 |
| Animal Trust Fund, Co Sligo | 2,000 |
| ASH Animal Sanctuary, Wicklow | 15,000 |
| Avalon Greyhound Sanctuary, Woodford, Co Galway | 2,000 |
| Carlow SPCA | 15,000 |
| Cats Aid, Dublin | 12,000 |
| Cavan SPCA | 15,000 |
| Celtic Animal Life Line, Tipperary | 3,000 |
| Clare Animal Welfare, Ennis | 12,000 |
| Clare SPCA, Clonoghan | 10,000 |
| Clifden Animal Rescue, Co Galway | 2,000 |
| Clondalkin Animal Aid, Dublin | 6,000 |
| Collon Animal Sanctuary, Louth | 15,000 |
| Cork Cat Action Group | 6,000 |
| Cork SPCA | 25,000 |
| Cottage Rescue, Co Tipperary | 2,000 |
| Cry for Help Cattery, Co Westmeath | 2,000 |
| Dogs Alive, Westport, Co Mayo | 2,000 |
| Dog Rescue Ireland, Dublin | 15,000 |
| Dogs in Distress, Dunboyne, Co Meath | 2,000 |
| Dogs Aid, Dublin | 6,000 |
| Donegal Pet Rescue | 15,000 |
| Drogheda Animal Rescue, Co Louth | 15,000 |
| Dublin Animal Rescue Group | 2,000 |
| Dublin SPCA | 80,000 |
| Dungarvan SPCA | 12,000 |
| Enniscorthy SPCA | 15,000 |
| Florence O'Connor, Kerry | 4,000 |
| Friends of Animal Rescue Centre, Westmeath | 15,000 |
| Galway SPCA | 25,000 |
| Hillview Animal Sanctuary, Cork | 10,000 |
| Inistioge Puppy Rescue, Co Kilkenny | 8,000 |
| Irish All Pure Bred Rescue, Tipperary | 3,000 |
| Irish Horse Protection League, Wicklow | 6,000 |
| Irish Horse Welfare Trust, Wicklow | 13,000 |
| Irish Raptor Research Centre, Sligo | 10,000 |
| ISPCA, Longford | 80,000 |
| Joan's A.R.C., Glengevlin, Co Cavan | 2,000 |
| Kerry SPCA | 17,000 |
| Kerry Greyhound Connection, Beaufort, Co Kerry | 2,000 |
| Kildare and West Wicklow SPCA | 15,000 |
| Kilkenny SPCA | 8,000 |
| Kilmeady Lodge Animal Sanctuary, Co Cork | 2,000 |
| Laois SPCA | 12,000 |
| Last Hope Animal Charity, Navan, Co Meath | 2,000 |
| Leitrim Animal Welfare Trust | 25,000 |
| Leitrim SPCA | 15,000 |
| Limerick Animal Welfare | 15,000 |
| Limerick SPCA | 15,000 |
| Longford SPCA | 15,000 |
| Louth SPCA | 20,000 |
| Mayo Animal Welfare, Westport | 6,000 |
| Mayo SPCA | 10,000 |
| Meath SPCA | 20,000 |
| Monaghan SPCA | 25,000 |
| New Ross SPCA, Co Wexford | 12,000 |
| North County Dublin SPCA | 15,000 |
| North West SPCA, Mayo | 10,000 |
| North Wexford SPCA, Gorey | 10,000 |
| Offaly Pound Rescue | 2,000 |
| Offaly SPCA | 20,000 |
| PAWS Animal Rescue, Co Tipperary | 25,000 |
| Petwatch Co Ltd, Dublin | 12,000 |
| Roscommon SPCA | 12,000 |
| Roscrea SPCA | 12,000 |
| Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, Sligo | 10,000 |
| Safe Haven, Co Offaly | 2,000 |
| Sligo Dog Warden Services | 2,000 |
| Sligo SPCA | 20,000 |
| St Francis Animal Sanctuary, Co Sligo | 2,000 |
| St Francis Dispensary for Sick and Injured Animals, Dublin | 5,000 |
| The Athlone & West Midlands SPCA, Co Westmeath | 10,000 |
| The Cats Protection Association of Ireland, Dublin | 20,000 |
| The Daisy Fund, Kerry | 6,000 |
| The Donkey Sanctuary, Cork | 50,000 |
| The Equus Foundation, Co Kildare | 2,000 |
| The Inner City Cat Rescue Group, Dublin | 3,000 |
| The Irish Blue Cross, Dublin | 80,000 |
| The Sunset Appeal, Co Wexford | 5,000 |
| The Tigger Trust, Kerry | 5,000 |
| Tipperary Friends of Animals, Nenagh | 15,000 |
| Tipperary SPCA | 12,000 |
| Tralee Animal Welfare Group, Co Kerry | 10,000 |
| Uisneach Border Collie Rescue, Westmeath | 10,000 |
| Waterford SPCA | 15,000 |
| West Cork Animal Welfare Group | 17,000 |
| Westmeath SPCA | 10,000 |
| Westown Animal Shelter, Kildare | 10,000 |
| Wexford SPCA | 20,000 |
| Wexford Pet Helpers, Enniscorthy | 2,000 |
| Whiskers New Park Animal Sanctuary, Roscommon | 12,000 |
| Wicklow SPCA | 25,000 |
| Wildlife Rescue, Cork | 2,000 |
| TOTAL | 1,224,000 |
NOTE:
In respect of payments in excess of €6,500, organisations must either be registered as charities or have submitted a current Tax Clearance Certificate before payments may be released to them.
Date Released: 13 December 2006
