Flaherty welcomes allocation of over €1m for Longford animal welfare charities

Three Longford animal welfare charities have been allocated over €1m in funding.  

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD,  announced funding of €6 million for 101 animal welfare charities nationwide - an increase of €200,000 on last year.

The Longford beneficiaries of €1,079,000 are;

• Hungry Horse Outside, Currygranny, Newtownforbes: €140,250
• ISPCA National Animal Centre, Derryglogher, Kenagh: €931,750
• Longford S.P.C.A, 2 Market Square, Co. Longford:       €7,000

The funding announcement was made on the third annual animal welfare awareness day during a visit by the Minister to the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA). 

Longford Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Joe Flaherty said he was delighted to see over €1m in animal welfare funding for Co Longford. 

Deputy Flaherty remarked, "This year, there is an additional focus on supporting charities involved in rehoming dogs. This recognises that 2023 has been a particularly challenging year in terms of dog welfare and for those working to rescue, protect and rehome dogs."

He added, "Whilst the headline figures are the funding for Hungry Horse Outside in Newtownforbes and the ISPCA National Animal Centre in Kenagh, I was especially pleased to see €7,000 for the Co Longford ISPCA – a 28% increase on their 2022 allocation."

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Minister McConalogue said, “Animal welfare is a priority for me and for my Department and is important to us all in Ireland. I am delighted to announce today that I am providing the highest ever level of funding by my Department to animal welfare charities. These grants will support these organisations in the vital work they do across the country, protecting, rescuing and taking care of animals, and providing education and guidance so as to prevent welfare problems from arising in many cases. I recognise that this year, dog welfare charities have had additional pressures to deal with, and so the increase in funding is focused on providing additional support for those organisations."

Urging the public to think carefully before getting a pet this Christmas on Animal Welfare Awareness Day, the Minister cautioned that “owning and caring for a pet is a major, long-term commitment. Before taking on a pet, I would ask people to consider:

• Is this particular type of pet the right choice for you?
• Is your home right for the type of pet you are considering?
• Is your lifestyle suit, and ed to giving the pet the time, energy and exercise it would need?
• Have you carefully considered the financial costs of taking care of an animal, including feed, veterinary care and holiday costs?
• Have you considered the responsibilities of a pet owner? Dogs must be licensed and microchipped, and kept under control according to the regulations.
• Will the pet be responsibly sourced? For example, consider adopting a dog from a shelter or charity.”

Highlighting the important work done by animal welfare charities in Ireland, the Minister said: “I’d like to acknowledge the important work carried out, often in very challenging circumstances, by animal welfare organisations and their dedicated volunteers and staff across Ireland. Animal welfare charities play a crucial role in helping animals in need, educating people, and raising public awareness about improving animal welfare. Responsible pet ownership campaigns can help to reduce the number of dogs abandoned or surrendered, and thus can reduce the pressure on dog shelters and charities. For this reason, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to promote responsible pet ownership.” 

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