Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1343. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of dogs euthanised in registered animal rescue centres on an annual basis since 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39342/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Animal welfare is a key priority for my Department. Considerable resources and funding are provided to support animal welfare charities involved in rescuing and rehoming animals through the annual Welfare Grant Programme. In December 2022, my Department awarded record funding of €5.8 million to 99 animal welfare charities throughout the country.

As part of the grant application process for such animal welfare charities, each applicant is required to provide information on their policies in respect of euthanasia. However, they do not provide data directly to my Department on the number of dogs euthanised in their care.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1344. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if non-kill animal rescues can avail of Departmental funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39343/23]

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.

My Department's Animal Welfare Grants Programme is open to all animal welfare organisations engaged in the care and welfare of animals and registered with the Charities Regulator and which have been in existence for more than two years.

In December 2022, I awarded record funding of over €5.8 million to 99 animal welfare charities throughout the country, through the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. This is evidence of my own and the Government’s ongoing commitment to animal welfare and acknowledges and supports the important role played by animal welfare organisations.

As part of the grants application process, applicants are required to provide information in respect of their policies on euthanasia, including in relation to their policies on:

• Animals experiencing unacceptable levels of pain or suffering (including mental & emotional) that cannot be alleviated.

• Unacceptable risk to people or to other animals.

• Quality of life compromised to an unacceptable degree, with no realistic prospect of improvement.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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1345. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an animal welfare officer will be appointed for Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39410/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013, my Department has primary policy responsibility for the welfare of all animals.

Since the introduction of the Act, over 1,000 Department officials have been designated as authorised officers under the Act and their responsibilities include the enforcement of animal welfare legislation provided for under the Act. A large number of these authorised officers are based in my Department's network of Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country, including the Regional Veterinary Office in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

Members of An Garda Síochána and officers of the Customs and Excise Service are directly authorised under the Act. The CEO of a local authority may also appoint officers of that local authority as authorised officers under the Act.

The Minister may also enter into service agreements under which authorised officers may be appointed. Inspectors of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Rasaíocht Con Eireann, and the Irish Horse Racing Board have been appointed as authorised officers in this way. It is the responsibility of these organisations to then allocate these staff resources as appropriate to their particular roles.

My Department also provides considerable financial and administrative support to assist welfare organisations in carrying out their work in protecting animal welfare. In December 2022, I announced record funding of over €5.8 million to 99 animal welfare charities including over €155,000 to charities in County Mayo.