Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 860: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to Parliamentary Question No. 620 of 23 March 2010, if there is capital or current funding available for voluntary run services for dog protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15320/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's statutory responsibility extends to the welfare and protection of farmed animals only i.e. animals normally bred or kept for the production of food or for use in or for the purpose of farming. This legislation is enforced under the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984 and the European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations 2008.

My Department does not operate specific schemes of financial assistance for animal welfare nor for dog protection. However since 1995 my Department has made ex-gratia payments to a number of organisations directly involved in the delivery of animal care and welfare services. Many of these organisations are involved in providing direct care and welfare services to dogs. The funding available to any individual organisation is dependent on resources available and the level of demand and is therefore intended only as a contribution to the overall costs of the organisation. Until 2004, these ex-gratia payments were made from residual funds available in my Department's Vote at the end of the year. From 2004, specific provisions for this purpose has been included in and published as part of my Department's estimates. Since 2005 funding in excess of €6m has been made to welfare organisations, of which €1.185 million was paid at end 2009 to assist welfare bodies towards the cost of their activities in 2010.