Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this important issue, which the Deputy set out so passionately, on behalf of the Minister for agriculture. The Veterinary Council of Ireland announced in April 2024 that it had updated its code of professional conduct for veterinary practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005.

The report of the working group on control of dogs, which was approved by the Cabinet in March 2023 and has been published online, includes a recommendation that surgical artificial insemination in canines be prohibited, where the word "canine" encompasses all breeds of dogs, including greyhounds. In 2024, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine held a public consultation on whether the practice of carrying out surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds should be banned.

This public consultation has now closed and will contribute to the legislative process. The results of the public consultation will be published in due course. The Department of agriculture is closely examining this issue and will be providing advice on an appropriate course of action in the near future.

There is a strong commitment to improve animal welfare in the greyhound racing sector in the programme for Government. The Government’s support is contingent on a guarantee of welfare standards being upheld by Rásaíocht Con Éireann on an annual basis to ensure Rásaíocht Con Éireann continues to provide financial support for the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust and contributes to rehoming greyhounds. Since 2020, the Department of agriculture has ensured that a minimum of 10% of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund allocation to Rásaíocht Con Éireann is ring-fenced for welfare, including integrity.

Rásaíocht Con Éireann has confirmed that from 2019 to the end of quarter 1 of 2025, it spent €19.3 million on traceability, care and welfare. Rásaíocht Con Éireann continues to operate an ever-expanding greyhound care fund, utilising income from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund towards the implementation of the highest possible welfare standards at kennels and racing facilities throughout the country. To facilitate the Department of agriculture in monitoring expenditure on welfare, quarterly reports on progress regarding the continued implementation of the care and welfare programme are required from Rásaíocht Con Éireann.

Provisions in the Greyhound Racing Act 2019 support Rásaíocht Con Éireann in strengthening greyhound welfare. This legislation strengthens the legal basis for the industry, with a view to fortifying the integrity of the greyhound racing sector and improving provision for greyhound traceability. In addition to its care and welfare programme, Rásaíocht Con Éireann has a comprehensive range of activity in the areas of regulatory, integrity and laboratory functions. This includes activity on welfare inspections and investigations, testing regimes, veterinary services and financial support for the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust and contributions to private rehoming agencies. These care and welfare initiatives ran by Rásaíocht Con Éireann are a key priority.

A key element underpinning the welfare in any sector is traceability. The provision of a full IT traceability system for racing greyhounds is important in this respect. The Rásaíocht Con Éireann traceability system came into operation on 11 January 2021. The system provides a mechanism to ensure that racing greyhounds are properly registered and traceable throughout their lives up to the point of rehoming or retirement.

At the track, Rásaíocht Con Éireann makes a considerable effort to minimise the risk of injury by investing considerable sums of money each year on track maintenance and improvements. Veterinary surgeons are present at race times to ensure that only fit dogs run and that injured dogs receive prompt treatment.

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