Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Histon for his presentation. I return to the "RTÉ Investigates" programme. His referred to traceability and he said that the ICC "wants to put in place a better traceability system which will be linked on an all-island basis and also with the Greyhound Board of Great Britain". An issue that featured in the programme was dogs without ears, where they had been cut off the dog. If a large volume of blood testing is ongoing and the tests are being sent away, is it possible that tracing be done there to match samples with microchips? Can that be done when the dog is microchipped in order that one could be sure where a dog comes from and which dog it is, especially if people will resort to such a barbaric way of camouflaging traceability?

On exporting, the dogs on the programme were shown as being in other countries and were advertised yet were still owned by people here. What sanction, if any, is available for people in that position? Has this been investigated by the coursing club?

Regarding Whiddy Island, I am aware of similar happening elsewhere, where there is coursing, hunting or something else. Are officials from the ICC or any other club there to monitor that type of coursing?

Mr. Histon referred to tests, of which only 11 proved positive, and the associated penalties to protect the welfare of greyhounds and the integrity of greyhound coursing. It is peculiar that there would be such a low number of positive tests in the context of what we see in many of these programmes and the culture that I have come across reflects. I pick up a culture of acceptance of doping. It is seen to be okay and someone might get caught once in a while, but it is very seldom. Speaking to people on the ground who deal in the greyhound business and are out with their dogs, there is little regard for there being a firm hand of control being brought to them from any part of officialdom.

Mr. Histon also mentioned the rehoming of greyhounds, which brings us back to the destruction of dogs that are not running or are no longer able to run. We have seen how they are brought to the knackeries and so on. Is there any sanction for this? I spoke to a woman on the phone recently. They were trying to get a SNA in a school for a child who has autism and they have been told there is no money for that. She put it to me that the greyhound industry is getting €12 million. I understand the concept of the State giving seed money to an industry or sector of society to develop, but when we consider the amount the State is putting into greyhound racing, and we see the kind of carry on in the context of the many problems for so many other sectors of society, it does not add up and it never has. I have felt for years that the greyhound sector is getting far too much money from the State. This has shone a light on it and, hopefully, we will come to a point where the Government will sit up and conclude that it is no longer sustainable. It is no longer sustainable that the greyhound industry can be pumped with money at the same time as it is pumping the greyhounds full of all these illegal substances. Mr. Histon can deny it but it is happening. One might say that the dogs on the street know it but the greyhounds certainly know it because they are getting it all the time.