Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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583. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to review and increase the level of funding available to an organisation (details supplied) in County Kerry to assist its vital role in communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15013/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has provided funding to organisations involved in animal welfare since 1995 in order to enable these organisations provide a valuable service in the area of animal welfare. Applications for funding from animal welfare organisations are assessed by my Department and awards 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 and the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities.I accept that organisations in the voluntary sector face challenges in raising funds and many rely on support of volunteers to assist in the delivery of services. This is one of the reasons why financial assistance is being provided by my Department. Since December 2010, the organisation in question has been awarded funding amounting to almost €42,000, including €10,000 allocated in December last to support its work over the coming year. I am satisfied that this represents a reasonable level of support having regard to the current budgetary constraints.

Payments of this kind by my Department are made on an ex gratiabasis and it is not possible for the Department to increase the funding already provided last December. It is therefore imperative that the organisation concerned seeks to maximise funding from other sources to support their welfare activities and should not develop an expectation of, or reliance upon, repeat funding from this Department in order to sustain its activities into the future.

The scheme for 2017 will be advertised shortly and an application form will be forwarded to the organisation concerned in due course.