Paul Murphy
Ceist:860. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to confirm the amount of funding in total received by each local authority for dog control since 2023. [42474/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 October 2024
Ceisteanna (860, 861)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:861. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount each local authority was granted in each round of funding; the local authorities that have accessed the funding for dog control to date; where the funding has been accessed, if the Department have oversight as to what that funding has been spent on and, if so, please provide details. [42475/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 860 and 861 together.
In November 2023, I announced the establishment of a €2 million capital fund under a new Dog Control Support Initiative.
Under this initiative, funding was provided to Local Authorities to upgrade their dog pounds and shelter facilities, and to move towards cleaner, electric vehicles for dog wardens. A county-by-county breakdown of allocations is attached. Each Local Authority had until 30th June 2024, to inform my Department officials of the nature of the expenditure. A number of Local Authorities requested an extension to expend their allocation, so the full details of this expenditure will be available once all Local Authority reports have been received, collated and analysed.
I also recently announced an additional €2 million in capital funding to Local Authorities to expand and improve their dog pounds and dog warden facilities. This funding comes as a direct response to increased pressures on dog control services and will make immediate and tangible improvements to the dog control service across the country. Once the operational details and allocations have been finalised, my officials will notify all Local Authorities.
In July, together with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, and Minister of State with Responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Alan Dillon TD, I announced funding of €2 million for Local Authorities to support the resourcing of dog warden services from 2025. This funding recognises the increased demands in the area of dog control and the need to ensure resources on the ground to enforce the ban on XL Bully type dogs. Once the operational details and allocations have been finalised, my officials will be in contact with all Local Authorities so that they can begin the recruitment processes required at local level.
Finally, in addition to these measures, my Department is also supporting a national training programme for dog wardens to ensure consistency and a standardised approach to enforcement. This training commenced in April 2024.
I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues across Government to improve outcomes in relation to Dog Control in Ireland.
Dog Control Support Initiative 2023
|
Local Authority |
Funding Allocation |
|
Carlow |
€56,099 |
|
Cavan |
€63,241 |
|
Clare |
€59,739 |
|
Cork City |
€67,555 |
|
Cork County |
€98,020 |
|
Donegal |
€64,399 |
|
Dublin City |
€79,707 |
|
Dun Laoghaire |
€64,454 |
|
Fingal |
€73,169 |
|
Galway City |
€55,407 |
|
Galway County |
€67,967 |
|
Kerry |
€74,948 |
|
Kildare |
€65,757 |
|
Kilkenny |
€61,142 |
|
Laois |
€58,692 |
|
Leitrim |
€55,140 |
|
Limerick |
€68,393 |
|
Longford |
€54,980 |
|
Louth |
€63,850 |
|
Mayo |
€63,832 |
|
Meath |
€64,367 |
|
Monaghan |
€60,865 |
|
Offaly |
€57,650 |
|
Roscommon |
€58,509 |
|
Sligo |
€57,759 |
|
South Dublin |
€69,700 |
|
Tipperary |
€65,954 |
|
Waterford |
€64,433 |
|
Westmeath |
€57,944 |
|
Wexford |
€65,449 |
|
Wicklow |
€60,877 |
|
Total |
€2,000,000 |
Question No. 861 answered with Question No. 860.