Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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286. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will urgently review the allocation of funding under the animal welfare grant programme and the designation of authorised officers under Section 37 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54239/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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287. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will appoint designated inspectors to an organisation (details supplied) as authorised officers to close current enforcement gaps for at least ten counties, to provide legal certainty in ongoing investigations and support Gardaí during the transition to a national SPCA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54240/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together.

In November 2024, my Department provided funding of almost €6 million to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country. The figure awarded represents a very significant increase on previous years and greatly exceeded the Programme for Government commitment to double the €2.4 million of funding available to animal welfare charities from the 2020 budget.

The 2025 animal welfare grants process is currently underway.  The purpose of the animal welfare grants is to support the operational activities of registered animal welfare charities that meet certain criteria.  The application process is robust and comprehensive. Applicants are asked to provide information on their activities, including reporting specific data and metrics requested as part of the process, with successful applicants allocated funding on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis. These awards align with government policy and the goals set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy 2021-2025, Working Together for Animal Welfare. Applications are currently under assessment by my Department and I expect to announce the results of the application process in December.

Since the introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare Act approximately 1000 staff within my Department have been designated as authorised officers under the Act.  A large number of these authorised officers are based in my Department’s network of Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country providing nationwide coverage. Their responsibilities include carrying out welfare inspections in every county and providing advice and support to the keepers of animals. Primary responsibility for protecting the welfare of animals’ rests with the owner or keeper.

Authorised officers regularly carry out inspections and investigations and work towards ensuring the welfare of animals and legislative compliance with interventions ranging from advice, to warning and to legal compliance notices. When necessary, legal sanctions are imposed, and prosecutions are taken when other efforts to ensure compliance have failed or there is blatant disregard for an animal’s welfare. To date over 200 successful prosecutions have been taken under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, and a number of other investigations are ongoing.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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291. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department was consulted in advance of the ISPCA and DSPCA merger; whether an impact assessment was conducted on implications for public funding distribution; if increased oversight and performance metrics will apply to the newly merged organisation given the significant increase in public funds it will control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54244/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Animal welfare is a key priority for me, as Minister, and for the Government.

My Department was notified of a potential merger involving the organisations in question. However, my Department has no involvement in the day-to-day running of animal welfare charities. It is therefore at the discretion of an organisation to deploy resources where they deem they can have the maximum impact with regard to their financial situation.

Each year, my Department invites eligible animal welfare charities to submit a funding application through the Animal Welfare Grants Programme. To qualify, applicants must meet specified requirements, which are made available through the application process, with awards made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis.

Last year €6 million of funding was provided to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide, through the animal welfare grant programme. These awards support the provision of education and knowledge sharing to the public on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, helping to raise animal welfare standards.

The 2025 Animal Welfare grants process is underway, with applications currently under assessment by my Department and I expect to announce the results of the application process in December.