Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The reason that we are providing funding is that there has been a structure and support in place for the greyhound racing industry for many years now. It is particularly important to support it. It is something that we are continuing to do. The structure and the oversight of the industry is also important. The legislative underpinning of the whole sector was significantly changed and strengthened through the Greyhound Racing Act 2019 that we introduced in the Dáil and the Seanad. Going forward, while the provision of funding is important, public support, through attendance and participation, is crucial for the industry. RCÉ must focus on that and on its engagement with the wider public to ensure that its racetracks have strong public attendance. That is really important for the future health of the industry. Both of those aspects are important. Certainly, the public funding plays a significant role in underpinning the industry.

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