Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion. It is a very practical one. It has been brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas and the joint committee so this is not my first time to speak to it. The motion is debated in the Houses of the Oireachtas on an annual basis. That is an appropriate way to deal with the issue. It just gives one the level of scrutiny that is required for this motion.

I did not attend the joint committee meeting on the day of the hearings because I was somewhere else, unfortunately. I watched a recording of the debate afterwards and saw a considerable level of engagement by the committee, of which I am a member, regarding the issue. I compliment the three members of the committee in the House today. They were very much on top of their game in ensuring that due scrutiny was given to the legislation. The motion has been subject to the entire rigour of the Houses and has now reached the Seanad. That just shows our commitment to ensuring that the fund that we are putting in place is one that is well scrutinised. I know of no other fund that is put through such rigorous scrutiny and debated on a annual basis in an effort to make sure that the funding is appropriate.

I honestly believe the funding is appropriate. While I listened to this debate I thought about my own little parish where many people have a greyhound or a horse and are intertwined with the fund at some level. The fund has a significant impact on rural Ireland, in particular, and urban Ireland. I could name six people who have horses and four or five people who have greyhounds in my own little district. Those people are a significant part of the local community and I am from a little place called Minane Bridge. The number of people who own either horses, greyhounds or both in a place like Minane Bridge indicates how intertwined the industry is in small rural parishes. We need to be very aware of that when it comes to putting funds in place.

An economic package has been put together. As other Senators have rightly said, it benefits the economy and I believe that it really does pay money back into the economy on a pound for pound basis. That situation is a significant driver for so many people when it comes to rural Ireland.

I want to acknowledge the amount of change that has happened within the industry in the past few years. When I entered the Oireachtas in 2016 there was in many ways, and particularly for the greyhound industry, issues pertaining to traceability. We have seen huge changes in a short time. There has been a significant change in ethos and approach by the industry. That is what we need to see because the industry needs to move forward, and that has to be a part of the industry being sustainable going forward.

I fully support the motion. It is an appropriate motion that will benefit the industry and rural Ireland, which needs that support to keep going when it comes to economic issues and its needs.