Mr. Eoin Ryan:

The Senator's points on the importance of awareness and education are well made. As I mentioned in my opening statement, we have an advisory council on companion animal welfare which advises the Minister on these issues. It comprises a range of stakeholder groups, including Veterinary Ireland, the ISPCA, the DSPCA, Dogs Trust Ireland, the Irish Blue Cross and others. One of the things it is considering and advising us on is exactly that issue of how to promote responsible pet ownership. As Ms Kelly will probably point out in a few minutes, we are collaborating closely with our colleagues in the Department of Rural and Community Development on the issue of responsible dog ownership. An example of that responsible dog and other pet ownership piece is our recent campaign on brachycephalic dogs, for instance. These are the flat-faced dogs, which may have many animal welfare issues. We are trying to encourage awareness of that in order to move away from extreme breeding practices.

On the point in respect of unforeseen bills, I highlight that we provide animal welfare grants each year. Last year, it was €5.8 million to 99 charities. Of that amount, €4.7 million was to 73 dog-specific charities. As the Senator stated, we are expecting the grants for this year to be announced soon, possibly tomorrow.