The Irish authorities spent as much as €1 million a month to accommodate pets owned by refugees, the Irish Mirror has revealed
Irish taxpayers footed the invoice for accommodating practically 2,000 pets owned by Ukrainian refugees, together with some they acquired after arriving within the nation, in accordance with native media.
The cash was allotted by the Division of Integration largely in 2022, with peak spending recorded in November that yr, the Irish Mirror reported on Wednesday, based mostly by itself investigation. At the moment, 1,806 pets have been staying in inns and different properties on the state’s expense, together with 933 canine, 819 cats, and 54 different animals.
It value Eire as much as €20 ($21.50) per evening for every of the animals owned by Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Momentary Safety (BOTPs), data reviewed by the information outlet revealed.
The precise sum spent particularly on non-human friends couldn’t be established as a result of the division “didn’t categorize between BOTPs and pets,” a spokesperson instructed the newspaper.
The Irish Mirror estimated that lodging for the animals was costing taxpayers simply over €1 million ($1.07) per 30 days.
The expenditure was “unimaginable” and “ridiculous,” impartial lawmaker Michael McNamara instructed the newspaper, accusing the federal government of wastefulness. Referring to division officers, he requested: “What planet do these folks stay on?”
“I presume the folks arriving right here with pets have been ready to pay for them in the identical method as everybody else does or as they’d have in Ukraine,” the politician added. “However in case you discover a division silly sufficient to pay, then, after all, I wouldn’t blame folks for permitting the division to pay for it.”
The division stated it stopped offering lodging for Ukrainian pets from November 9, 2022.
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The newest report is a follow-up on a narrative that the Irish Mirror revealed in February, revealing that the Irish Division of Agriculture had spent €808,132 (about $869,000) on transport, kennelling and veterinary providers for Ukrainian pets.
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