Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. I welcome the Minister of State and his officials. The Minister of State gave a comprehensive address that touched on many key issues that are of concern to stakeholders within the greyhound industry in Ireland. It is an important industry and I fully agree with the Minister of State's concluding remarks on the industry's potential. It has huge potential not only within the country but internationally. The industry needs to be harnessed and developed but in order to do that, there is a need for robust controls within the industry at every level, from regulation controls - the Minister of State spoke about the drugs issue - down to financial controls. There is a need for regulations, processes and the implementation of clear objectives that are agreed to by all the stakeholders within the industry.

One concern that breeders within the industry have expressed to me is like the analogy that I sometimes use in regard to the Football Association of Ireland and the manager of the Irish soccer team, Martin O'Neill. In that regard, the stakeholders or the breeders are the players. How can one field a team if the players are not coming forward? There is a need to bring everyone together, to improve the communication strategy and to ensure that everyone is listened to, whether or not we agree with their opinion.

I am looking at the situation from the outside. I do not own a greyhound and I have never betted on a greyhound. I have no financial interest whatsoever in the industry. I am looking at it objectively and I believe there is a huge gap at the moment that is creating an undercurrent of difficulty. Whether or not we agree with where some of the commentary is coming from, it is being made so it needs to be addressed. I agree with the Minister of State in that regard. He made an honest contribution on where he sees the industry going. I acknowledge his own determination in trying to resolve some of those issues. This is an industry that has huge potential but it is also one that is receiving healthy benefits from the taxpayer, to the tune of around €175 million in Exchequer transfers under the fund from 2001 up to the end of last year.

As a committee and as Members of the Oireachtas, we have an obligation to scrutinise the workings of that organisation and ascertain whether the money that is being spent represents value for money for the taxpayer.

The fact that the Irish Greyhound Board's turnover has been hugely dependent on the taxpayer in recent years is alarming. I understand that if one goes back to 2006, one sees that the figure was around 17% or 18%. Today it is approaching 36% or so, following the increase in revenue through the budget, through the Minister's good offices, which is bringing direct transfers from the state to the Irish Greyhound Board back in line with the 2007-08 figures. We all speak about the organisation having huge potential. If it can realise that potential, why is the taxpayer bailing it out, in effect, year on year? That is just one issue.

The Minister of State mentioned the Bill he is working on, and he hopes to publish the heads of the Bill shortly. I know it is difficult to say, with the election coming up, but does he envisage a publication date for that? Has the Department set a date for it? Will it be published even before the election?

The Minister of State mentioned the need for improved communication in the industry, as outlined in the Indecon report, which was very comprehensive and touched on a lot of the issues. A lot of the good work that is being done and a lot of the challenges that the sector faces fed into it. Looking at the sector from outside, as a committee member and a Senator, I see that one of the shortcomings is the lack of communication with stakeholders. The IGB has a statutory obligation to liaise with stakeholders in the industry, but that is not happening. Communication channels must be put in place to allow that to happen. I am not suggesting for one moment that that is the Minister's responsibility, but if the taxpayer is providing money, we need to ensure that the IGB, all parts of the sector and all stakeholders, particularly the breeders, have an equal opportunity to decide on the future direction of the greyhound industry in Ireland. On the one hand we have fewer breeders, while on the other we are trying to cultivate an ethos of breeding new dogs. Why leave the current breeders to one side? Should we not take all their views on board? Maybe some of them have been listened to, but not all of them have been listened to.

There is an issue of finances. The IGB is a semi-State organisation. Since the IGB's inception under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, how has its relationship with the Department evolved? Would the Minister say there is a strong relationship between the Department and the IGB? Has it got stronger or weaker? I am not sure whether the Minister wants to answer that, but I will leave the question there, in any event.

What is the Department's view on the board's recommendation to offload the only profit-making track in the country, Harold's Cross, which is generating a revenue surplus-----