Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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16. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the criteria used to allocate animal welfare grants; if the process is transparent to all groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25948/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Each year, my Department, through advertisements in the national press, invites applications from animal welfare bodies who wish to be considered for ex-gratia funding to assist their work in caring for animals. In addition, my Department emails application forms to previous recipients of funding and to persons/bodies working in animal care who may have contacted the Department during the course of the year and expressed an interest in being considered for grant assistance.

With regard to 2014, my Department provided funding of €1.8m to 142 organisations involved in delivering animal welfare services throughout the country.  The awards in 2014 provided increased funding for the fourth year in a row and reflected the fact that 2014 was a challenging year, with continuing reports of animal cruelty highlighting the need to assist animal welfare organisations in their work.

Advertisements in respect of funding for 2015 were placed in the national press on 21 May 2015 with a closing date of 26 June 2015 for receipt of the completed application forms. The application form requires details of the nature of the organisation’s work, premises, capacity to hold animals, the species cared for, number of years in operation and details of fundraising programmes. Applicants are also required to submit supporting documentation, including detailed financial accounts. Depending on the size of the organisation, these can be statements of income and expenditure for a 12 month period, certified or audited accounts. Organisations must also submit an up to date tax clearance certificate and/or a registered charity number. Applicants may also be subject to an inspection by the Department’s Veterinary Inspectorate.

The criteria for awarding funding includes a range of factors such as:

- Veterinary Inspector reports detailing level of service provided and impact of organisation in particular catchment area;

- income position of the organisation versus its level of expenditure together with its level of activity in the area of animal welfare and its level of funding raised from other sources to support welfare activities;

- an undertaking on the part of the animal welfare bodies to comply with a code of practice which sets out best practice for dealing with animal welfare.

I am satisfied that these criteria are soundly based and that the funding allocated under this scheme provides very necessary support for these organisations in the promotion of good animal welfare practices and in dealing with real animal welfare issues on a daily basis.