Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The horse and greyhound industries are invaluable components of the economic, cultural, social and traditional fabric of Irish life. Those industries have served to deliver prestige to Ireland and they are recognised brand ambassadors in developing Irish tourism abroad. They have created economic ties and have allowed Irish people to forge international links which have serviced us through good times and bad. Through the generations, committed and passionate animal lovers and sports enthusiasts in the horse and greyhound industries have developed in Ireland, through years of selective trade, international centres of excellence which have become known throughout the world. State funding directed through Horse Racing Ireland and Greyhound Racing Ireland is designed to support these two sectors and provide for continued development in both industries.

The benefits of this are evident from a 2017 Deloitte report, which demonstrated that total direct and stimulated expenditure within the horse breeding and racing industry was estimated at €1.84 billion in 2016. This revenue supports more than 15,000 jobs in racing, breeding and related industries. Horse racing, in particular, generates significant returns to the rural economy. Many farmers are also owners of broodmares. I will introduce anyone who comes to my county of Waterford to the farrier, the vet, the fence builder, the tillage farmer, the tractor mechanic, the stable lads and ladies and the jockeys who depend greatly on this industry for their occupation and, for many, their sole income.

The greyhound industry also provides considerable economic benefits, along with direct and indirect employment. A 2016 survey reported more than 5,000 full-time and part-time jobs in the sector, with more than 7,300 active greyhound owners in Ireland. Greyhound ownership and racing, although most active in the rural heartlands of Ireland, also has urban-based breeders and supporters. I am sure most people in this House have at some time in their lives enjoyed a night at the dogs.

Both industries have been concentrating on furthering activities to improve and maintain the highest levels of animal welfare and care. There are always some people for whom profit is the only objective, even to the detriment of animal welfare. In greyhound racing, however, where this can be a more significant problem due to the lower cost of ownership, the sector is fighting back. Provisions in the new Greyhound Racing Act 2019 seek to improve standards on traceability and transportation and to provide financial support for injured animals, as well as promoting a new scheme to look at rehoming greyhounds after their racing careers are finished. The sector has been tasked with providing demonstrable change in respect of animal welfare and has appointed a new director of greyhound care and welfare to oversee these industry improvements.

New technologies are also creating new audiences for Irish horse racing and greyhound racing. Some parts of Asia have discovered Irish greyhound racing via satellite TV, following the success of Irish horse racing in developing a global following. This increased interest is delivering direct income to the Irish Exchequer through online betting tax receipts. This is, in turn, supporting the development of regional economic diversification in Ireland through beneficial income, enterprise and tax measures. The financial supports being announced to support these industries are entirely appropriate, given the decimation of income and gate receipts caused by the ravages of Covid-19. These industries provide long-term income to the State and the Government, in turn, will be a long-term beneficiary through the recovery of increased tax revenues from these sectors in the future.

The cultural implications in respect of supporting these sectors must also be kept at the forefront of our minds. Ireland is a world leader in these sectors, and as well as world-class standards in animal welfare and husbandry, we must also consider the welfare of the people who depend on these industries for their livelihoods, in addition to their amenity value. Too often in this country we speak about the cost of everything and we fail to recognise the value of anything, at times. The global leading position which these industries have developed for this country must be maintained and supported so that once Covid-19 has been consigned to the past, these industries may again flourish and contribute to the advancement of rural and regional Ireland.

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