Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I praise the great work done by a former Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, when he had an opportunity to act with regard to the greyhound industry. He did not just talk about action. He developed a forward-looking greyhound plan, which could be widened to the larger community. This resulted in the significant increases in attendances and the development of first-class facilities around the country.

There is no doubt the current chairman of Bord na gCon, Mr. Taggart, and his board of directors, in conjunction with the support received at the time from the Department of Agriculture and Food, have done a tremendous job in uplifting an industry which was a Cinderella sport, but has now grabbed the imagination and attention of the wider public.

The important economic aspect of the industry is not to be underestimated, particularly with regard to owners, trainers and the wider community. A number of people are involved because there is a tradition in the family, and also because new syndicates are emerging which are bringing great sport, enjoyment and entertainment to the wider community. This is similar to how the horse racing industry has developed, with many people involved in various syndicates. That is giving a new outlet in terms of entertainment, and the greyhound industry is the same.

The barrage of accusations by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, that Deputy Deenihan's proposals smack of political opportunism does not sit well. To level such accusations is not the right tone to strike on an issue such as this, the Greyhound Industry (Doping Regulation) Bill. I was disappointed with the Minister when he stated that Deputy Deenihan's proposal "smacks of political opportunism on the part of the Deputy and seems to be contrary to the spirit of impartiality, openness and fair play that he appeared to espouse when preparing the Bill".

As with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform last week, I do not believe that to be the right tone. More than anybody in this House, Deputy Deenihan has espoused, in a very impartial and open way, his desire to see the greyhound industry developed. He put his money where his mouth is when he was Minister of State for the period 1995 to 1997.

I would like the Minister to give credit where it is due and get on with the job of ensuring we have a board of directors in place in which we and the Minister can have full confidence. There should be a proper chief executive rather than an acting chief executive, which we have at the moment, with the capacity to deliver on board decisions. There should be certainty regarding the budget of Bord na gCon.

All these issues have been in limbo for far too long. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, has failed to take the necessary decisive action to ensure we have a continuation of the good work carried out over the past number of years.

It was a mistake for the Government to transfer responsibility for the greyhound industry to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. I know the political reasons for this occurring when a former Minister, Deputy Walsh, left office. It has not served the industry well. There was much expertise in the Department of Agriculture and Food, built up over a long time. This facilitated officials being in contact with various programmes which had to be worked out with the EU and in conjunction with Bord na gCon and the tracks around the country. There was a good working relationship. I am disappointed we do not have the decisive action needed to ensure the industry has confidence to go forward.

I hope the Minister will take the opportunity, as he promised in his contribution, to provide clarity in the next week or two for the industry and give leadership by appointing a chief executive immediately. He should ensure there is sufficient funding to complete a number of tracks around the country, not least the track in Kilkenny.

The killjoy attitude of some of the speakers, particularly Deputy Gogarty, leaves much to be desired. I cannot understand somebody representing a Dublin constituency who cannot see the immense entertainment constituents can get from events in Shelbourne Park and Harold's Cross. It has nothing to do with the Deputy's so-called attitude to attention to animals. The sport is properly regulated, and the owners and trainers look after their animals to the highest standards. No amount of a killjoy attitude, as adopted by Deputy Gogarty, will convince me other than that the wider community wants this sport developed and takes great entertainment and enjoyment from it. The record attendances show that.

The independent verification of doping has been a controversial aspect and Deputy Deenihan has outlined a way forward. This has not been dealt with by successive Ministers after nine years in office and that is far too long. Deputy Deenihan is accused of political opportunism because the Minister is about to take action, but he and his predecessors have had nine years to do it yet they have not done it. There needs to be certainty in the verification of the doping of greyhounds and that should not be in the hands of the board. That independent verification is enshrined in this legislation in the best possible way.

I ask that the best possible ministerial support be given to departmental officials to ensure the proper budgets are in place to complete the programme in Limerick, Kilkenny and Clonmel. I hope the programme is completed by the end of 2007 and that we continue to have the highest possible standards in the greyhound industry under the leadership of Bord na gCon and Mr. Taggart. The clouds surrounding the industry must be lifted by the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, in the next couple of weeks.

I support Deputy Deenihan's initiative to ensure we get the type of action necessary to lift the gloom around the industry and to give us back the certainty necessary to go forward.

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