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€14,642,869.33: Government grant to Punchestown Centre
24th February 2004 The Department of Agriculture has revealed the exact amount of taxpayers' money given to the Punchestown Centre which is half-owned by the Kildare Foxhunt. In a Dail Question asked last week by Green Party TD, John Gormley, it was stated by the Minister for Agriculture that €14,642,869.33 was given to the centre in funding. Please join our appeal to the Government to stop giving public funds to any group involved in blood sport activities. See Action Item below. Parliamentary Questions and Answers Question 154 - Answered on 18th February, 2004 John Gormley: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Government funding which has gone over the past ten years to the Kildare Hunt via funding for the Punchestown centre. Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh): My Department has provided €14,642,869.33 towards the development of facilities at the Punchestown Exhibition and Event Centre. Visit our Parliamentary Questions page for more Dail Q&A relating to the campaign against blood sports and other forms of animal cruelty.
Urgent Action Item Please write to the Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and An Tanaiste, Mary Harney, expressing your disapproval of taxpayers' money being given to a foxhunt. Charlie McCreevy, Minister for Finance An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern An Tanaiste, Mary Harney SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Minister McCreevy, Deputy Ahern, Deputy Harney, I am writing to express my outrage at the news that a grant of nearly 15 million Euro has been given to the Punchestown Centre which is half-owned by the Kildare Foxhunt. As a taxpayer, I demand that absolutely no money is given to those who engage in the barbaric practice of foxhunting or other blood sports. I am extremely concerned that the Kildare Hunt will direct profits earned from the Punchestown facility into the funding of their hounding and killing of foxes for fun. I urge the government to make foxhunting and other blood sports illegal in Ireland. Yours sincerely,
Government gives multi-million Euro grant to Kildare Hunt
As reported in the media, the Punchestown Centre, which is half-owned by the Kildare Hunt, has received a 15 million Euro grant from the Government. The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is outraged that the Kildare Foxhunt is the beneficiary of this massive grant. This is tantamount to an endorsement by the government of the Kildare Hunt and thereby their barbaric activities. ICABS is also concerned that the Kildare Hunt will direct profits earned from this facility (paid for by our taxes) towards their cruel activity - the hounding down and killing of foxes for fun. We ask the general public to bear this in mind when considering attending events at the Punchestown Centre. Foxhunt Cruelty: More Information For more information about foxhunting, please visit our Ban Fox Hunting website at www.banbloodsports.com/foxhunting.
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