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The Eden Animal Sanctuary, which funds advertisements in Ireland and the UK as part of the Go Vegan World campaign, needs to “needs to come from behind the cloak of secrecy and publish all the sources of its funding”, IFA president Joe Healy said.
Eden Animal Sanctuary is a company limited by guarantee. It does not have charitable status and is not subject to charity regulations. The IFA said the way the company is structured means it does not have to publish audited annual accounts.
Healy said: “It seems extraordinary that a multimillion euro advertising campaign across Ireland and the UK would be run from an obscure animal sanctuary in Ireland which is not a registered charity, does not produce audited accounts and does not disclose where its funding comes from.
“The latest unaudited accounts of the company for 2018 show an income of almost €3m. They need to stop being a secret society and tell the public who is funding them.”
Advertising
The IFA complained to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) about a Go Vegan World advert which said “eating animal foods contributes more to climate change than transport”. The ASAI advised the IFA that the messaging was outside their remit.
“I think the public deserve to know who is funding these campaigns. As the ASAI have washed their hands of the issue, it is clear that there is no oversight in relation to the validity of their messaging or who is funding it,” Healy said.
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