Funding for the Irish Seal Sanctuary cannot be provided by the Department of Arts and Heritage because seals are not endangered in Irish waters.

Calls had been made for the Government to support the sanctuary in the Budget with £1.8 million in capital funding, but the Minister for Arts and Heritage, Ms de Valera, said the sanctuary's work "involves the rehabilitation of injured or distressed seals". It did not deal with the conservation of the overall seal population. The work of sanctuary, in Garristown, Co Dublin did not impact on seal numbers.

"The overall conservation context is that seals are not endangered in Irish waters." She said there were about 210,000 common and grey seals between Ireland and Britain and "in these circumstances there is no justification" for the provision of funding.

The Minister said that responsibility under Wildlife legislation is to "protect seals and other species to ensure the conservation of the specials as a whole. I am not responsible for the welfare of individual animals."

Mr Trevor Sargent (Green, North Dublin) said the sanctuary, which had also sought funding for a new facility in Rogerstown, Co Dublin, "has a unique body of experience which is not available anywhere else in the country. Local authorities often make use of its services."

Labour's heritage spokesman, Mr Brian O'Shea, suggested that the Minister's dismissal of funding because the sanctuary was welfare-oriented "is an admission that she does not see the complete picture".

Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist, Dublin West) said there was a "real danger of the permanent closure" of the sanctuary, which would be regretted by a large proportion of people.

Ms de Valera said that nobody wanted to see the closure of the sanctuary, but "my concern is conservation, and that issue does not arise at this time".