Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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610. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of ex gratia funding for animal welfare organisations allocated in 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24454/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and for the Government. Considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations.

In 2020, I allocated €3.2 million in funding for animal welfare organisations. In 2021, this figure was €3,739,875 and in December 2022, I announced the record allocation of over €5.8 million in funding to 99 animal welfare charities throughout the country, under the Animal Welfare Grant Programme.

This is the largest award of grant funding to animal welfare bodies ever made by my Department and is to assist these organisations for work their dedicated work in the care and welfare of animals throughout 2023.

Awards are made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis. These include the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals, the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities, and the provision of education or awareness raising activities relating to animal welfare.

Throughput of animals and rehoming figures are also assessed, along with reports from veterinary inspectors relating to veterinary inspections of the premises.

I expect to launch the 2023 Animal Welfare Grant Programme for Registered Animal Charities in June 2023, when applications will be invited from eligible organisations.

The attached spreadsheet provides information on awards granted to the individual animal welfare organisations for the years in question.

Details of these individual awards are also made publicly available online at the time of their announcement, as can be seen at the following link:

gov.ie - Minister McConalogue announced record animal welfare charities funding (www.gov.ie)