Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Can I just make the point that we are doing exactly what Deputy Daly suggests? We have increased the funding given to animal welfare organisations despite all the pressures of the last two budgets. I hope to continue to do that. We have a code of conduct for all welfare organisations. They have to apply that code, which includes neutering and rehousing programmes, in order to get funding. We are supporting the track, neuter and return programme for feral cats. We are doing a great deal in this area. We are considering whether to itemise feral cats specifically in legislation even though we have not done that in other areas. There is a difference between a cat that is essentially wild and a protected cat that has an owner to whom we can attach responsibility. We need to deal with the issue of animals that are essentially wild through the track, neuter and return programme because it is not easy to do so in legislation.

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