Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Schools are being penalised for getting good results for their kids and teachers are being penalised for working too hard. That is outrageous.

The second matter I would like to raise relates to the Harold's Cross Greyhound Stadium, which was unexpectedly closed. I was meant to go to the stadium this evening but I learned that it has been closed. This is part of the Irish Greyhound Board's decision to shift races from Harold's Cross to Shelbourne Park in a move designed to cover the cost of developing the new track in Limerick, which cost €21 million to complete. The Harold's Cross Greyhound Stadium is an historic venue in Dublin and opened in 1928. It is a very important part of the local history and community in Harold's Cross and in the wider Crumlin and Drimnagh area. In addition to the contribution it makes to the local community, it also makes money. It makes financial sense to maintain the track. It is not operating at a loss. The decision to close the track, and its potential sale, has infuriated both me and the Dublin Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association, which has been protesting against the sale since the news first broke. I would ask the House to support the Dublin Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association and call for the decision to sell the track at Harold's Cross to be reversed. It is a short-term decision that will damage the local community and greyhound racing in the long term. It is appalling.