Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In 2015, the then Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, said in reply to a parliamentary question that €100,000 was received by the Irish Coursing Club from the Irish Greyhound Board. I hope the Irish Coursing Club and the Irish Greyhound Board are very much separated. I know greyhound owners who keep their dogs for racing do not agree with live hare coursing, yet their fees are going towards supporting it. This has to be clarified.

Live hare coursing started in Clonmel last week. RTE showed a clip of it. It said before showing it that it would be too disturbing for some viewers. It showed a censored version. When some people rang up to find out why it was censored, they were told the footage was too bad to show. If the full, uncensored clip had been shown, it would have shown the greyhounds tossing the hares and mauling them. It would really have shown what live hare coursing also includes.

I hope that on foot of the Minister of State's report, there can be a separation between the two bodies. How much exactly has the Irish Greyhound Board given to the Irish Coursing Club over recent years in loans and payments?

See this speech in context