Renewed calls for intervention to stop closure of Donegal ISPCA centre tomorrow

Renewed calls have been made to stop the closure of the Donegal Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) Centre. 

Sinn Féin TDs for Donegal have called on the Agriculture Minister, Martin Heydon, to intervene and prevent the closure of the ISPCA Centre. Additionally, a public meeting was held today at the centre in Ballyare, where people turned out in support of keeping the facility open. The Donegal centre is to be closed tomorrow due to “serious financial difficulties” within the charity. 

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty have said that the proposed closure of the organisation’s rehabilitation centre in Ballyare would be a negative for animal welfare in the county and believe there is still room for intervention. 

“The closure of the Donegal ISPCA centre tomorrow would be a devastating blow for the hardworking staff at the centre and for animal welfare in this county,” Teachta MacLochlainn said. “This facility provides a vital service in rescuing and rehabilitating animals. Its closure would leave Donegal without the support it desperately needs.

"As the ISPCA have already stated in their justification for closure, there is an overwhelming crisis in animal cruelty cases. To leave Donegal without the services that the ISPCA provide is unthinkable in this context. I am joining SIPTU’s calls for the Minister for Agriculture to step in immediately to secure the future of this centre and we have written to Minister Heydon. He cannot wash his hands of this. He must act now to ensure this service is not lost.

The ISPCA (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and DSPCA (Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) are merging to form a single national animal welfare organisation called the National SPCA, to be operational by October 1. Animals at the Donegal centre are due to be moved across the country and staff have been offered redundancy. 

“We have also written to the ISPCA seeking urgent clarity on why concerns about the viability of this centre were not shared earlier with political representatives or made public,” Teachta Doherty said. “Had these issues been raised in good time, solutions could have been found to avoid this crisis. The ISPCA must explain why elected representatives and the community were left in the dark until the very eve of closure. Staff, volunteers and the wider public deserve answers.

“I will continue to press the Minister to intervene and I stand with staff, volunteers and SIPTU members in their fight to keep this essential service open.”