Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. Let me give an example of how the issue of a level playing field was dealt with in 2014. Prior to 2014 an issue arose when the popular sire, Top Honcho, died at the age of 14 years back in 2007, but litters were bred from his semen in 2010, 2011 and 2012. His 2010 offspring had won 361 races in total, taking home a combined €51,545.

There is a financial incentive for those who can afford to breed from him. I have not heard anything from the Minister of State or the Irish Greyhound Board, IGB. I appreciate that the Minister of State's contribution is based on the information provided to him through his Department from the Irish Greyhound Board. The IGB has failed to deal with this issue. It has failed to listen to the recommendations or heed the recommendations of the agriculture committee report. If this is allowed to continue, it will diminish the number of breeders that we have in the country. If that continues, we will not be talking about the greyhound racing industry in Ireland in ten years' time because there will be no industry.

In Florida and in different US states they are shutting down the greyhound racing sector because of lack of interest due to the vested interests. Breeding by artificial insemination is a vested interest in the sector. There is a cartel in the sector and there is an economic rationale and benefits for those who are involved. Unfortunately those who are involved in the cartel are growing and it is becoming financially more viable for them to sustain the dogs, yet the ordinary punter, the breeder and the owner cannot compete, in particular the ordinary man who breeds a litter of greyhounds. The objectives of the different types of breeders are not compatible and then one will have a winner and a loser. The only way to intervene is to have a policy intervention. That was the rationale for these amendments.

I appreciate that the Minister of State's hands are tied, but I will be pressing these amendments.