Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome and support this proposed measure. I seldom support what the Minister puts before us, but this proposal is welcome. It helps to support the horse and greyhound industries. Directly or indirectly, they account for 39,000 jobs, which is a large number. We must secure and maintain those jobs in this country in future. I sincerely hope these funds will make their way down the chain of those involved. It should not be the rich and wealthy horse owners at the very top who end up getting most of this money. It should work its way down to ordinary people, such as those I see in my community, who love their horses and race them during the year in places like Drimoleague, Durrus, Goleen, Bandon and places like that. I would like to ensure, and perhaps the Minister might acknowledge if this is the case, that these funds will indeed make their way down to ordinary people.

Most of the opposition to this measure is coming from Deputies in Solidarity-People Before Profit and the Social Democrats. Have they ever visited those who care for their greyhounds? I have. I visited Collins's farm in Church Cross some time ago. The beautiful and immaculate way in which these animals are cared for must be commended as top class. Instead of coming in here and opposing this, if these Deputies were to go out there to see these places, they would see at first hand what a fine way these greyhounds are being treated, from their earliest years to their oldest.

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