Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Thanks to the "RTÉ Investigates: Greyhounds Running for their Lives" programme that aired last year, the cruel and inhumane practices of the greyhound industry were revealed to the public. For many, this was the first time they were confronted with the reality of what goes on behind closed doors in greyhound racing and it spurred a major public outcry. Since the airing of that programme, there has been an increased public focus on welfare practices. However, 18 months on it is difficult to point to the practical application of commitments from the industry and, increasingly, there is the potential for resources to be transferred away from welfare matters towards commercial activities without oversight or consequence. An examination of welfare spend in recent years is revealing. On average, in the years 2014 to 2018 the then Irish Greyhound Board spent a mere 0.2% of its budget on welfare measures. This is set out very clearly under the heading "Contributions to Greyhound Welfare and Irish Retired Greyhound Trust". It is clear that the resources directed towards welfare in the greyhound industry were insufficient to upholding the necessary standards.

In 2019, the Greyhound Racing Ireland annual report no longer detailed contributions to greyhound welfare and the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust on its own and makes it impossible to compare welfare spending to other years on a like-for-like basis. Priority should have been given to funding the widespread implementation and promotion of the care fund for greyhounds, including foster schemes, care centres, the greyhound industry support scheme and the freephone welfare line, all of which were committed to by the then Irish Greyhound Board. It should also be noted that a considerable proportion of the care fund is being ring-fenced by Greyhound Racing Ireland to develop and maintain a traceability system for greyhounds.

Traceability is a basic operational requirement and the funding for it should not be taken from an already unstable and insufficient pot proposed for the purposes of animal welfare initiatives. Following an increase in funding last year, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has stated that funding for the industry is contingent on maintaining and implementing welfare standards. However, despite seeking further information, it is unclear how these welfare standards are tracked and evaluated against future funding. Indeed, the worry is that there is no formalised structure in place at all. There should have been a strict formal way to make public funding for Greyhound Racing Ireland dependant on transparent, trackable welfare measures. Allocating taxpayers' money to an industry with serious animal cruelty concerns and crossing one's fingers that it will be used for welfare is simply not good enough.

A considerable proportion of current welfare funds is being set aside to develop a traceability system, but such a system should be a basic operational requirement unrelated to welfare initiatives. Proper traceability systems track the entirety of a greyhound's life and are essential to tackling harmful welfare practices and overbreeding. Without a reliable system starting from birth, there is no clear record of breeding, euthanasia or export. Equally, there is no transparent rigorous system of inspection in respect of greyhound breeders. Inspections are vital in increasing accountability among breeders and ensuring compliance with the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2005. However, this has not happened. It is clear that by contributing millions of euros of taxpayers' money, the Government is propping up an inherently cruel industry which the Irish public has been increasingly rejecting. It is now time to phase out this industry.

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