Mr. Frank Nyhan:

I will start with Deputy O'Keeffe's last question. Both I and the board think the legislation is perfectly adequate, and that it just needs to be implemented. The powers granted in that Act are sufficient to do what we have to do.

The €16.8 million budget, as the committee knows, is a percentage of the horse and greyhound fund, which is essentially funded from the bookmaking levy and redistributed. A report commissioned from the economist Mr. Jim Power and furnished to this committee in 2017 showed that something in the region of 5,000 people are directly employed in the greyhound industry in Ireland, and a further 12,000 are employed indirectly. Approximately 20,000 people derive economic benefit from the greyhound industry and it is worth roughly €300 million.

The contribution from the greyhound industry to PAYE and PRSI is approximately €12.5 million per annum. From a purely economic point of view, the €16.8 million is justified.

I will turn to the questions from Deputy Alan Kelly. Many of his questions request specific information that I do not have at my disposal today. We will get that information and we will forward it through the secretariat. Both he and Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan referred to a dog that was tested three times. There is a question of due process in that particular case, as it remains before the control committee of the IGB. We have no function in regard to that committee, which is entirely independent, and until it has adjudicated on the matter, it is not appropriate for me to comment. The matter has been before the High Court. It was dealt with there and it is now back before the committee. People are entitled to due process and it is not appropriate to comment further in respect of that particular case.

The welfare care fund will come from come from the industry and all who participate in it, namely, owners, trainers, breeders, those who attend dog racing and who go to our restaurants. That is the view of the membership. That is what they want to do. I have been at dog tracks for the past two weeks talking to people about this. In fact, I was at a meeting in Deputy Kelly's constituency in Thurles.