A fake screenshot circulating on social media claims that the Irish government has allocated €150 million for Ukrainian pet welfare. The screenshot uses the logo and color scheme of Irish broadcaster RTÉ, but there is no evidence to support the claim. RTÉ News confirmed that the story is fake and has not been featured on their website. While Ireland did allocate funds for pets of Ukrainian refugees at the start of the conflict, this funding has since stopped. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine stated that they have spent over €815,000 on pet-related expenses from Ukraine since 2022.
As of April 2023, the funds paid for measures to control risks associated with pets arriving in Ireland from Ukraine, as well as helping Ukrainian refugees ensure their pets are compliant with animal health requirements. These expenses included vet costs, animal identification, transport, accommodation, and translation. However, these funds are no longer available, according to the agriculture department. Tánaiste Micheál Martin defended the money spent on transporting and accommodating pets from Ukraine as a humanitarian response that reflects the compassion of the Irish people. Despite this, there is no evidence to support the claim that the government approved another €150 million for pet welfare in April.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, responsible for finding accommodation for Ukrainians, denies any knowledge of the €150 million claim. They stated that the government has not recently approved €150 million for Ukraine accommodation or related costs. The department stopped funding pet-friendly accommodation in November 2022 and phased out the costs for those already in Ireland. They also mentioned that around €500 million was spent in 2022 on commercial accommodation for Ukrainians, which increased to €1.5 billion in 2023. Overall, there is no confirmation of any new allocation of funds for Ukrainian pet welfare by the Irish government.
While Ireland did allocate initial funding for pets of Ukrainian refugees, this assistance has since ceased, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. The funds were used to cover expenses related to pets arriving in Ireland from Ukraine, such as veterinary costs, animal identification, transport, accommodation, and translation services. However, these funds are no longer available, and there is no evidence to suggest that the government recently approved another €150 million for pet welfare in April. Tánaiste Micheál Martin defended the previous expenses as a reflection of the compassionate nature of the Irish people, but the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth denies any knowledge of the alleged €150 million allocation.
