Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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507. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase funding for organisations such as the Blue Cross, which provide low-cost veterinary services, in order to create a system, along the lines of the United Kingdom's People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, whereby comprehensive low-cost veterinary care is widely and easily accessible and based on ability to pay. [30999/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has provided funding to animal welfare organisations, such as the Blue Cross, since 1995 to assist these organisations in providing a valuable service in the area of animal care and welfare. To date, the Blue Cross has been awarded funding amounting to in excess of €712,000, including an amount of €70,000 awarded in December 2014 to support its work. Applications for funding are assessed by my Department and awards are made on the basis of certain criteria, including the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals, the level of expansion of activities together with the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities. The Blue Cross has submitted an application for funding this year setting out the charity’s current and future plans for promoting animal welfare and this is currently being processed by my officials. A decision on funding levels will be made in December 2015.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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509. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has undertaken an analysis of the number of animals that may not receive appropriate veterinary care due to a lack of financial means by their owners; if he would consider a fund to assist animal owners with limited means with veterinary bills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31029/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ownership of animals imposes on the owner a legal responsibility to protect the health and welfare of the animals. It is important that people acquiring animals ensure that they have the capacity to take appropriate care of them. However, I am aware that, occasionally, persons owning animals do not have the means to ensure their health and welfare. Accordingly, since 1995 my Department my Department has provided funding to animal welfare bodies to assist with their work in caring for animals. These organisations provide much needed assistance to animals (and by extension the owners of animals) in their local communities including providing appropriate and necessary veterinary care to animals at subsidised rates. Funding amounting to €1.867m was allocated in December 2015 to 142 animal welfare charities. Applications for 2015 are currently being processed by my officials and a decision on funding levels will be made in December.

I should also mention that, in the context of recently introduced dog microchipping legislation which makes it compulsory as of 1 September 2015 to microchip all dogs born after 1 June 2015 and which will apply to all dogs post 31 March 2016, I have made funding available to animal welfare charities to subsidise the cost of microchipping for any dog owner who finds it difficult to afford the full cost of complying with the legislation i.e. social welfare recipients, those on state pensions etc. Details of how to make an application for funding is available on my Departments website at .