Ray Butler (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Meaney, Ms Larkin, Ms Forde and Mr. Lewins, who is known to me. I have been involved in greyhound racing all my life, it is in my blood. I have trained, raced and bred greyhounds. The greyhound industry employs 10,500 people, part-time and full-time. That is why the Government provides significant funding because the industry is both a significant employer and revenue stream for the Government. In some areas greyhound racing is like the GAA club because local people have their coursing dogs and greyhounds.

Mr. Meaney and Ms Larkin have taken over a legacy of bad management left by the previous chief executive officer and other people who were involved in the board. It is very difficult for me to sit here and listen to certain people from a political party who were in power during these years from 2007 to 2011, as they lecture us about how bad or good things are when they did nothing themselves, only made it a retirement home for-----