James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I start I know that Mr. O'Loughlin has had a bereavement and I offer my sympathies to him and his family at this time.

It is no secret that my family are involved in horse racing. I have no stake or claim to it but I have an interest in the sport. I will follow on from what Deputy Murphy has raised. What was seen in the "RTÉ Investigates" programme was the barbaric treatment of animals. The entire racing community is disgusted by what was seen. From people I have spoken to within the racing community, including those within my own constituency of Cork East and nationally across the island with hundreds of families involved in racing outside of the cities, it is clear that the whole industry took a belt from what I perceive to be failures by the Department of agriculture.

Mr. Sheahan has just said that five complaints were made. That is highly irregular for any facility and I assume that even a single complaint would raise alarm bells. The fact there were five is troubling. Given what they have done, the people involved should never be left near an animal again. Anyone involved in racing knows the animals are cared for exceptionally well and at huge cost, and that is because of people's love and passion. Most people involved in racing do not make a penny from it. It is about the love of racing and the animals involved. I am sickened by what I saw on that investigative programme and I want to put that on the record. The Department of agriculture’s inspection methods need serious evaluation. Perhaps on-site CCTV is needed where there is a complaint, even if it is struck down, or where there is a mandatory requirement over a period of time, and that is where a single complaint comes in, never mind five.

Does Mr. Sheahan accept the damage this has done to everybody in racing? It is incredibly unfair to everybody involved with animals, not just for horseracing but farming and everything else, given the public perception that this is the cruelty that is taking place when that is not the case. It happened in this instance and has been highlighted, and well done to RTÉ for that. Does Mr. Sheahan accept the damage that has been done to the industry overall by the failure of the Department to act appropriately when it got a single complaint, never mind five?