Mr. Edward Gus Ryan:

I thank the Chairman. A lot of questions were asked. If I neglect to answer any of them, perhaps the Chairman will bring that fact to my attention.

The Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation is recognised by the Oireachtas. We are included on the register of nominating bodies for the Seanad. All greyhound owners are not members of the federation, which is their choice. The federation represents the owners affiliated to it but we also have the national interest at heart. All of us here today are volunteers, we do not get a penny from anyone and we never requested it. We would like to see the industry continue for another 100 years after we are all gone but it is our opinion that, unfortunately, it will not continue. If something radical is not done, it will be gone a lot quicker than that.

Reference was made by Senator Ó Domhnaill to the drugs issue, which is probably one of the most relevant matters with which we deal. The Senator asked why people are walking away from the industry. It is because they no longer have any confidence in it. If I was a new owner starting out, I would be gone out the door. However, I love the 99% of the people in the industry who are great individuals. They see that when the genuine owner runs his or her dog, he or she wants to run the dog on a level playing field, with no drugs involved. This is why the federation’s policy on drugs is zero tolerance, and I mean zero. The federation held a very productive meeting with Professor Tim Morris. He asked about the federation’s position on drugs and we told him it is one of zero tolerance. He asked us if a dog required medication could it be given and we said "No. If a dog is on medication, it should not be running". I am astounded and shattered that we have an organisation such as Bord na gCon, responsible for the running of the greyhound industry, which does not have a zero-tolerance policy in respect of drug use in the sport. I find it amazing that we are the owners of the dogs and we have zero tolerance in this regard but that Bord na gCon does not.

I will outline to the committee an instance from five or six years ago when a small-scale greyhound trainer who is a friend of mine had a dog which tested positive for procaine. He explained his case and that he thought it might have come from the meat he used to feed the dog. He lost the €3,000 prize money and was fined. That was tough luck. If you do the crime, you pay the fine. I am amazed that in the past two years three high-profile classic race-winning trainers' dogs have produced positive tests for different samples – two for procaine and one for morphine. What happened in this regard? A tolerance level or threshold was suddenly introduced in respect of procaine and now those owners are not guilty at all. What message would this send to the greyhound owner I knew or to anyone at this meeting other than that there is one law for the rich and another for the small fellow?

Members will see how we arrived at our position on drugs. We will not be satisfied until every drug cheat is put out the door. I am passionate about the drugs issue because I need a level playing pitch to take on those individuals. If I have a dog that is good enough I want him to be beaten by a dog that is clean, nothing more.

As far as I am concerned rules and regulations mean nothing to Bord na gCon. The rules are only for the people who do not count. We had an issue with track distances and only Bord na gCon could come up with the remedy. When we appeared before the committee on a previous occasion we put our case to the Minister of State who said in response that he could see no logical reason why our request to Bord na gCon could not be met.

Bord na gCon had all the tracks in the country measured and it was found that tracks had different distances. In Kilkenny the track was 529 yards and the track in Thurles was almost 533 yards. Dogs running on these tracks would have had an advantage on dogs running in Shelbourne Park because their times were recorded over those distances and not over 525 yards. We asked that in order to level the playing pitch, the proper distances would be put down on the dog's identify card and also entered on the computer, which could adjust for grading purposes, or alternatively move the finishing line or the traps. None of the three options was taken up. One would not give the reply we got to a child. They said they would rank the tracks. Why rank the tracks when one could solve our issue with a stroke of a pen and it would cost no money?

Our confidence in Bord na gCon was shattered when it could not comply with three basic principles. Trainers were given a €10 allowance for presenting a dog. Even though my dog was presented, I got nothing. The ordinary individual who trains his own dog get nothing. Where is the fairness in that? We suggested that the allowance be either given to everybody or to nobody. This request was also turned down.