Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus gabhaim comhghairdeas leis. In congratulating the Minister of State on his appointment, I would also like to congratulate him and his officials on bringing this Bill before the House, for their extensive consultation and for the approach they took to dealing with it. I have known the Minister of State for a number of years. He is a common sense, practical man and has demonstrated his ability in bringing the Bill through the House. The Bill recognises the level of regulation and integrity of control in the greyhound industry.

Bord na gCon and the Irish Greyhound Board are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare. The Greyhound industry in not just an industry. It is a compendium of many parts. The greyhound racing bodies have made changes through the presence of veterinary surgeons at race meetings and sales, the employment of personnel to oversee greyhound welfare, the appointment of a welfare manager in addition to a welfare committee and the retired greyhound trust. All of this has been done in consultation rather than a "gun to the head" approach. The coursing club stud book records all greyhounds.

I am satisfied that the Government and the Minister of State are committed to animal welfare as reflected in the Bill's Title, the Welfare of Greyhounds Bill 2011. Those of us who support this Bill are supporting an industry and the welfare of animals. It cannot be all about one side of the equation. There must be a balanced approach. If one was to listen to the commentary of those opposed to this Bill, one would wonder what world one was living in. As someone who has had a family involvement in greyhounds over the years, I think it is important that we understand the massive economic activity that the greyhound industry generates in Ireland. A Department of Finance report in 2009 revealed that €13.9 million in income was received from the Exchequer, €4.45 million of which was paid out in VAT, PRSI and PAYE. That means €9.5 million was paid by an industry which employs 11,000 people and which contributes over €500 million to the economy.

We must examine the issue of making greyhound racing and horse racing sustainable in this country. We must look at the betting industry here. Perhaps there are sacred cows and vested interests who we are afraid to take on, but maybe it is time we took a different approach to that.

I would like to plug my own area in Cork. I hope that the Minister of State will engage with the greyhound owners and breeders in Cork, under the chairmanship of Mort Cronin and Kathleen Lynch, who are looking for new traps at the greyhound track there. We are in difficult economic times, but they are great people who do great work. I would like to pay tribute to Noel Holland, who retired as the manager of the greyhound track in Cork. He is a gentleman, a great advocate of greyhound racing, and a man who was very central to the industry but who also had animal welfare at heart.

This Bill is important. It aims to enhance the welfare of greyhounds, but it must allow the greyhound industry to expand and develop, and to be done in partnership with the Government and the other stakeholders. In his remarks, Deputy Cowen skirted over the controversy of last year. I believe we had a Minister back then who was not aware and who did not understand the significance of the greyhound industry to our country. I welcome, as a consequence of that, the fact that we have a separate welfare Bill before us today. Those who criticise should look at what the Irish Greyhound Board and Bord na gCon have done in the area of self regulation. It is well regulated and the people involved are second to none. I welcome the provision for the creation of a new register of greyhound breeding establishments. I do not oppose it all. I welcome the fact that we will restrict the amount of times a dog can be bred, as well as the introduction of a minimum breeding age. The Minister of State has consulted widely. There has been broad consensus in some approaches and negotiation in others, but it is about welfare and an industry that can assist us in our economic challenge.

The industry must face its own challenges. The level of sponsorship, the cost of training, the running of tracks and the economic life of some of the tracks are very much under siege. As Deputy McGrath pointed out, when there are sporting groups, voluntary charitable organisations and local schools in need of a fund-raising event, the first thing they do is to go for a night at the dogs. Bord na gCon has risen to that challenge. The track in Cork is located down the road from where I live. It has become the place to go on a Friday or Saturday night, where people can eat, drink, bet, enjoy corporate entertainment, family entertainment and so on. It is an industry that supports so many. It has impeccable people. Deputy Cowen mentioned that there are 18,000 meetings in the year, with 10.25 million people attending. If we took a straw poll of those people, what would they tell us about the greyhound industry?

We had great success last month at the English Greyhound Derby and at the Irish Greyhound Laurels in Cork, and the summer derby in Shelbourne Park. These are spectacles in the Irish sporting calendar. It is an industry which is world class, which produces 11,000 full-time and part-time jobs, benefiting the local economies and the Exchequer to the tune of €500 million. The Farrell Grant Sparks 2009 report referred to the industry as a key driver of economic activity.

We have 17 greyhound tracks in the country. Let us consider the trainers, owners and breeders involved, and their impact on the local economy. That is the reason I think the Bill is important and the Irish Greyhound Board and Bord na gCon are to be complimented on the way in which they have allowed the industry to be professionalised and modernised. The industry has made changes to make it world class and fit for purpose. I am glad that an element in the Fianna Fáil Party stood up against the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. John Gormley, albeit that they came to that point late the debate. When I was a Member of the Seanad, a number of the Fianna Fáil Senators were on their own, yet it was the Members on the Fine Gael benches who led the charge. In saying that, it is important that there is consensus on the importance of the greyhound industry. There is a need to recognise the importance of this Bill. The industry is well regulated and deserved to be supported.

The Bill before us needs to be debated properly. Those who oppose it have every right to do so because of concerns which in their eyes are legitimate. Some of the comments, expressing hysteria, sent to Members in e-mails are misguided and presented in some quarters as being gospel, when they are not.

I am very happy that the Minister has brought forward this Bill and I am happy to support it. It is good that the Bill has cross-party support. We need to have an informed debate on the protection and enhancement of a valuable industry that operated in urban as well as rural areas. This Bill goes a long way in addressing the fears of those who have legitimate, informed concerns. It is time to legislate. The Bill, with its checks and balances, will ensure that safeguards are put in place in the industry.

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