Mr. Denis Healy:

In reply to Deputies Stanley and Penrose, I am glad that none of the 31 cases involved severe welfare issues. They involved minor issues, which is good to report. Thirteen of them pertained to exports to other countries. In each case where the greyhounds were traced back to an Irish individual, a steward or welfare officer visited the individual and took a statement. Section 10 of the Welfare of Greyhounds Act requires that the Irish Coursing Club be informed of the movement of greyhounds, or export from a premises. This must be done within 14 days. Where we found that movement was not reported within 14 days, we investigated whether it was possible to prosecute. Some of the cases were historic. Where a case is within the past 12 months, we can proceed. If not, it is effectively statute-barred.

There were poor hygiene conditions in some of the premises, including a lack of hygiene in areas where dogs were exercised. In some cases, the premises were wet. There was poor lighting in some instances.

There were cases involving questions about the whereabouts of other greyhounds and whether they had been sent out of the country. Such cases were investigated and we were able to obtain statements that some of the dogs had been transported to the North and then onwards to a third country through mainland Britain. There were no major welfare issues in the cases investigated.