Mr. Pat Herbert:

In response to Deputy Penrose, I will run through the traceability model. The issue of traceability has been a significant focus for the board in recent months. I can reassure the committee that a significant amount of work has been put into it. As mentioned at the most recent meeting of the committee on this issue, the cattle movement and monitoring system was considered. We travelled to Clonakilty to meet the providers of that service. We met our Australian counterparts and received an update on how the Australian system was run. We also met our counterparts from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain. The Irish Grehound Board, IGB established a workshop with the specific function of developing and evolving a robust traceability model that would meet the requirements of the industry. It will be all-inclusive in Ireland.

Deputy Cahill referred to his involvement in the greyhound industry and will be familiar with many of my points. As he stated, every dog, including greyhounds, is subject to the microchipping regulations of 2015. The microchipping of greyhounds is carried out at 12 weeks by IGB and Irish Coursing Club, ICC, stewards. They are also given an ear tattoo at 12 weeks. This provides a robust data set model for the measurement of greyhound whelps in the country. The registrations can refer specifically to the whelp pedigree, include registration details of sire and dam, the location of whelps, the controller of whelps, the age, sex and number of whelps from a particular litter, microchip details and ear tattoo details. There is also an input of details on greyhounds assigned for the specific purpose of greyhound racing.

Deputy Penrose referred to the requirement for real-time information. It is a game changer. This information must be available in real time. The Chairman referred to a scanning project to be carried out at tracks. It is envisaged that the traceability model and scanning at tracks will feed into our systems, including our race card generation system which is known as a race management system. The traceability model will include a reporting function for owners and breeders to feed into the traceability model. It will include details such as the death of a sapling from natural causes or euthanasia; the sale or export of a sapling, to include country of destination; a greyhound's retirement as a pet which will debar it from further racing; and retention of a greyhound for racing. It will be possible to edit details such as a change of location or controller. There will also be a provision such that if details are not appropriately updated, further registrations will be prevented. That will apply to a breeder or owner and payment of prize money to the owner or breeder will also be prevented in future drawdown. Like every system, the intention is to promote compliance. It will include details on the loss or theft of a greyhound. The use of an app or web portal will facilitate data inputs. The ICC will be informed of notifications such as the death of a greyhound. The traceability model will focus on changes in status related to key life events of every greyhound. In conjunction with the scanning project, it will be able to ascertain on point of racing or trialling whether all appropriate updates have been provided when a greyhound is presented for its first trial. If they have not been, the greyhound will not be allowed to trial until the updates have been provided.

Deputies Penrose and Cahilll referred to the cattle monitoring and movement system. Ours must be a robust and foolproof system. If a dog is allowed to race without the details having been updated, it will compromise the integrity of the system. Once appropriate updates are provided, the greyhound will be permitted to trial and race. The traceability model will need to include all life events when a greyhound commences racing such as trial and race form, changes of ownership and the export of the greyhound. As Deputy Cahill will be aware, 85% of greyhounds registered in the United Kingdom are of Irish origin. The retirement, rehoming, death, loss or theft of a greyhound will also be recorded. The scanning project to which the Chair referred will include the recording of the microchip and ear mark, something which has previously been carried out as a paper exercise. The digital recording of the microchip and examination of the ear tattoo, in addition to the certificate of registration, will ensure there will be three methods of proving integrity before a greyhound will be accepted for racing. It will cover all areas such as racing, trials, veterinary reports, stewards' inspections at premises, welfare inspections and sampling which is currently a paper exercise. The added functionality of the system will mean that when a steward arrives at a premises, he or she will able to bring up a report on what greyhounds should be present and will have advance warning in that regard.

The 2019 Act will provide for the regulated exchange of information between the IGB and the ICC. It is envisaged that there will also be an exchange of information between the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and our system, subject to legal compliance and data protection regulations.