Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the assistance made available to animal welfare centres throughout the country in 2004 in comparison with the previous three years. [14136/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years, my Department has made ex gratia payments to a number of organisations directly involved in the delivery of animal care and welfare services to help towards their work. The amounts paid by my Department are as follows. In 2001, €650,741 was allocated to 52 organisations, in 2002, €500,000 was allocated to 67 organisations, in 2003, €850,000 was allocated to 80 organisations and in 2004, €1 million was allocated to 83 organisations.

I am very pleased to be in a position to be able to help these largely voluntary organisations which do so much good work throughout the country in delivering animal care and welfare services. The assistance provided has made a real difference to the bodies concerned in sustaining their efforts over the years. I recognise that such funding will never be enough to defray the full costs to these bodies of meeting all the demands made on them and that they will continue to need the support of the public if they are to maintain their operations at effective levels.