The initiative, led by Éist, the Zero Tolerance Midlands Campaign Committee, wrote to the Bishop of Meath expressing 'deep disappointment and profound concern'.

Minister of Agriculture, Martin Heydon says the fund is in recognition of excellent work and the challenges faced by the charities and is the highest ever awarded under the Animal Welfare Grants Programme.

Paddy Joe Burke was speaking during the visit of Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O'Connor to the county earlier this week.

The highest costs were in Longford and Westmeath at almost 1.4 million euro combined.

The Living City Initiative, which is already in place for areas like Cork and Dublin, will now be enacted in Athlone, Sligo, Drogheda, Dundalk and Letterkenny.

The facility previously made an appeal this week as flu cases continue to rise sharply in the community.

They say there's an increase in fires in homes at this time of the year.

Longford-Westmeath TD Micheal Carrigy raised the issue in the Dáil this week with Culture Minister Patrick O'Donovan.