Taxpayer-funded Údarás na Gaeltachta did not provide grants to fur farming in the past two years, following an outcry.
Responding to a Dail Question this week from Holly Cairns TD, figures were published showing that the most recent Údarás grant to a fur farm was in 2018. There were no grants in 2019 or 2020, according to the figures provided by Údarás .
In her question to Gaeltacht Minister, Catherine Martin TD (Green Party), Deputy Cairns asked for information on the “the financial grants or other supports provided by Údarás na Gaeltachta to fur farms since 2009”.
Minister Martin outlined that a total of €137,020 has been handed over by Údarás to Tazetta Teo Fur Farm in Donegal, including two payments of €3,560 in “rent subsidies” in 2017 and 2018. In the previous three years, over €93,000 was paid out in equipment and training grants. The payments began in 2009 with a €10,400 employment grant, followed in 2010 with a €26,000 employment grant.
As highlighted previously, Údarás paid out more than €200,000 in grants to fur farming, despite the inherent cruelty to animals. In addition to the €137,020 channelled into Tazetta, Údarás also gave €82,123 “grant assistance” to another fur farm - Roxy Ltd (now closed down). That funding was approved by Údarás in 1984 - the year the fur farm was first licensed - and over the following two decades, tens of thousand of punts and euro were paid to the fur farm, located in Killybegs.
Thanks to Holly Cairns TD for this latest Dail Question. It comes after Údarás failed to respond to direct enquiries from ICABS, in which we asked if the grants had been stopped or if they had continued into 2019 and 2020.
In 2019, ICABS expressed disappointment to Údarás for “disregarding the cruelty of fur farming and channelling taxpayers' money into a business based on permanently caging semi-aquatic animals, denying them their natural instincts to swim and roam and gassing them to death with Carbon Monoxide at 6 months of age, before the fur is ripped from their bodies.”
Appealing to the body to end the funding, we pointed to a RED C opinion poll which showed that 80 per cent of Irish citizens want fur farming banned. Also highlighted was a statement from Veterinary Ireland, condemning fur farming as "cruelty" and calling for it to be outlawed.
Despite a commitment in the Programme for Government to ban fur farming, it still continues. Please scroll down for our latest action alert and demand an immediate closure of the country’s three remaining fur farms.
Dail Question and Answer
24 March 2021
Holly Cairns TD (Social Democrats, Cork South-West): To ask the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the financial grants or other supports provided by Údarás na Gaeltachta to fur farms since 2009.
Minister Catherine Martin, TD (Green Party, Dublin Rathdown): I am informed by Údarás na Gaeltachta that there is currently one client company in the fur sector, Tazetta Teo, which has received support since 2009. The company was formed in 1992 following the amalgamation of Jet Mink Teo. and Cilfin Teo, which had established mink farms in the same area in Donegal in 1969.
Údarás na Gaeltachta grants to Tazetta Teo. since 2009 are outlined below.
Year - Amount - Description
2018 - €3,560 - Rent Subsidy
2017 - €3,560 - Rent Subsidy
2016 - €7,090 - Equipment & Training Grant
2015 - €58,149 - Equipment Grants
2014 - €28,261 - Equipment Grant
2010 - €26,000 - Employment Grant
2009 - €10,400 - Employment Grant
Total: €137,020
ACTION ALERT
Ask Údarás na Gaeltachta’s to permanently end its fur farming grants.
Údarás na Gaeltachta
Head Office,
Na Forbacha, Galway
Telephone: 091 503100
Email: eolas@udaras.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UdarasnaG
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UdarasnaG
Please join us in urging the government to shut down Ireland’s three remaining fur farms NOW and put in place the promised ban on fur farming.
Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
Telephone: +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: (01) 618 3199
Email: charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@McConalogue
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports
SEE ALSO:
Victims of Ireland's cruel fur farming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk
Mink screaming: Tell Irish Government to shut down fur farms
https://youtu.be/62P0saq6DO0
A retired Irish fur farmer has revealed on the Claire Byrne show on RTE Radio 1 that fur farming was introduced into Ireland by two vets. Later in the show he admitted that he broke the necks of mink with his hands
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3439515122830688&id=463547953760768
Coronavirus testing at Irish mink farms under way
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1109/1176939-coronavirus-mink/
COVID19 testing at Irish fur farms: Govt must shut them down
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3425502754231925
Letter: Government should roll out ban on fur farming
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3427209740727893
Jennifer Whitmore TD urges Taoiseach to "move immediately to ban fur farming in Ireland”
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1142900706112158/
"We've drafted a bill to ban fur farming in Ireland": Congratulations to Solidarity TDs Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy on their announcement today (12 July 2018)
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1750869355028615/
"In relation to the fur farm Bill: Just to announce that they have actually drafted a law, and it is in the queue of legislation - we've seen it, to outlaw fur farming" - Ruth Coppinger TD
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/848063602296131/
80 per cent of people in Ireland believe fur farming should be banned, all the main parties (except Fine Gael) now support a ban and Veterinary Ireland have condemned fur farming as cruel - Listen to the Ruth Coppinger TD (Solidarity) interview on RTE Radio 1’s Drivetime today (17 June 2019). https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=194380304848086
The value of fur exports from Ireland has plummeted by over 80 per cent in the past six years, it has emerged https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2258290974286448