370. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated first and full-year cost of increasing the budget for animal welfare charities by 10%. [48425/26]

Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and for the Government.

In 2020, my Department allocated €3.2 million in funding for animal welfare organisations, under the animal welfare grants programme. In December 2023 and again in 2024, my Department announced the record allocation of almost €6 million in funding, to animal welfare charities throughout the country. In 2025 my Department awarded funding of almost €6.5 million to 94 animal welfare charities nationwide, under the animal welfare grants programme, surpassing the previous record amount. This marked the largest award of grant funding to animal welfare bodies.

The information requested by the Deputy is set out below, in tabular form.