Conservation funding

BryanL

I found this on the Irish Anti's site and i think it raises a few interesting points.

Firstly, there is money available to gun clubs with regard to conservation and secondly how ironic that the group below would try and block conservation. They really have no grand view of things.

they were also effective in stopping a grant for controlling rabbit numbers!
Bryan





09 Heritage Council gives grant to gun club for 2nd year

ICABS has learned that the Heritage Council - a body whose functions include promoting interest and pride in Irish wildlife - has awarded a grant to a gun club for the second year running.

Glenfarne Gun Club was given Euro 5,512 by the Heritage Council as part of its Biodiversity Grants scheme for 2008. Last year, Glenfarne Gun Club received Euro 4,000 under the Council's Wildlife Grant scheme.

According to their website, the money was to fund a "red grouse conservation & habitat management plan".

Last year's grant was challenged by ICABS Vice President, Tony Gregory, TD. In a Dail Question to Environment Minister John Gormley, Deputy Gregory questioned the appropriateness of giving a grant to a gun club. Although the Minister outlined that he is not responsible for choosing grant recipients, he confirmed that the Council's function is to "propose policies and priorities for the...protection, preservation and enhancement of the national heritage."

The Heritage Council is an independent body but is funded by taxpayers' money from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

In 2006, following representations from ICABS to the Heritage Council (relating to a massive grant for the eradication of rabbits from an island), we were led to believe that in the future, the Heritage Council would consider avoiding projects with connections to animal killing. A Heritage Council spokesperson stated at the time: "The Heritage Council will address this more seriously in the grant programme from here on out. I would hope that for the 2007 round of grant awards, policy advice in this area will have been developed and issued from the Heritage Council where necessary."

ICABS has renewed its appeal to the Heritage Council to give a commitment that no further funds will be awarded to groups involved in the killing of Irish wildlife. Please help by responding to the action alert below.

Glenfarne Gun Club also received an 800 Euro grant under the Sports Capital Programme 2007. Quoted in the Leitrim Observer of 30 May 2007, Minister for Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv, stated: "Raising funds is always an onerous task and those who give of their time to work for the benefit of others are to be commended. These CLAR top-ups will help those who are trying to improve life in their own communities."

ACTION ALERT

Please contact the Heritage Council and ask them to exclude from its grant schemes any group connected with killing animals.

Cliona O'Brien,
Wildlife Officer,
Heritage Council,
Rothe House, Kilkenny.

Email: cliona@heritagecouncil.com
Tel: 056 7770777

Please contact Environment Minister, John Gormley, and ask him to make it a condition of Heritage Council funding that their grant schemes exclude groups connected to killing wildlife.

Sparks

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what you've got in mind), there's no rule against anyone protesting how public funds are dispersed. In fact, we've been protesting for years against how licence fee monies are dispersed What's required is that excellent applications be made and then supported should others oppose them; so here, for example, I'd have thought that Glenfarne's members (and anyone else in the NARGC or who knows about their work) would be protesting the protest, so to speak, and lobbying both Gormley and Gregory in support of the grants going ahead, and being increased. You need to play the anti's at their own game, but play it better.

An interesting question to look into might be whether ICABS receive any public monies, and from whom...

Grizzly 45

They are a public limited company Sparks so anyone can get a copy of their annual returns from Companies house online.
Lists all the directors,secetary,etc.
Last returns[06/07] I saw was they have a turn over of around +/- 20K.
So any donations would have to be included in their end of year returns.

cavan shooter

Turn the tables, write to the heritage and Gormley thanking them for the stand they took

Dear Mis O Brien/Mr Gormley

I write to acknowledge and thank you for the support you have given the "red grouse conservation & habitat management plan", currently being undertaken by Glenfarne Gun club. This worthy project along with others such as "Irish Grey Partridge Trust" and smaller local schemes ran by clubs all over the country should be recognised for the work they do in relation to conservation of habitat, Biodiversity and the breeding of game species.

On a weekly basis members of clubs spend hours improving habitats and providing much needed food and cover crops for all game species. Conservation and Shooting is about respect for the Countryside, the traditions in it and the animals we shoot

Yours in Sport

whitser

think the anti's letter shows they have no interest in conservation,just stopping hunting. well done bryanL your always on the ball as far as the anti brigade is concerned. cavn shooter,good letter.