Mr. Pat Herbert:

I can advise that the proclivity of Irish greyhounds in the UK has been at that level for a long number of years. The UK has always depended on Ireland for the lion's share of its greyhounds and racing pools. There is a British greyhound racing studbook but it is extremely small and the number of litters listed in it is very small. Even before legislative changes took place in the UK to prohibit the surgical procedure the Senator has mentioned, the UK still depended on Ireland for its racing greyhounds.

My colleague has pointed out the industry advantages of artificial insemination. Some years ago, Dr. Donagh Berry, who works with Teagasc and is probably one of the most advanced geneticists in this country, completed a report on the proclivity of inbreeding in the Irish greyhound. A copy of his report is available on our website. He found that the Irish racing greyhound has several positive attributes regarding the level of inbreeding, many of which would not be unrelated to the importation of semen along the lines of which we have spoken.