Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I will be supporting this measure. I am acutely aware of the many trainers and breeders we have for horses and greyhounds in County Wexford. In my home town of Enniscorthy we have the Enniscorthy greyhound track, a privately operated track funded locally. It is run by a voluntary board of directors made up of local individuals. We have Wexford Racecourse, the home of many enjoyable afternoons of racing. There is also a dynamic that has not been raised in the Chamber yet, which is the many fundraising initiatives that take place week in and week out at Enniscorthy dog track and also at the race course in Wexford town. It is important to acknowledge the contribution that is made to local community groups and organisations. Sports clubs and many vital charitable causes avail of the fundraising opportunities that these tracks provide. I acknowledge the fact that we have a Minister in the Department who, like his predecessors, wants to see the highest standards of welfare in both industries. I recognise the contribution that was made earlier about artificial insemination. I certainly have concerns about that. I welcome the fact that the Minister is engaging with his officials on the possibility of regulating that area and I want to see the highest standards of welfare across both sectors.

However, what was not referenced in the contributions from the Social Democrats, Sinn Féin and certain Independents was the jobs. The greyhound industry supports 4,000 jobs. There are 6,000 individual trainers, breeders and owners of dogs throughout the country. Almost 30,000 jobs are directly supported by the horse racing industry. My concern here is that if you pull this funding overnight and it was to disappear and dry up, I do not know whether the industry and those jobs would actually be there without it. It is important that we support both sectors - greyhound racing and horse racing - while at all times having to the forefront of our mind the absolute need to prioritise and do everything we possibly can on animal welfare and animal welfare supports. I recognise the €4 million that has been put into animal welfare supports. I recognise the regulations that have been brought in by the Department of agriculture. I certainly will be supportive of any other measures the Minister for agriculture believes are needed in order to prioritise welfare.

However, we also have to have regard to the vital jobs in rural Ireland that both industries support. For those reasons, I will be supporting this motion. I am happy to engage with the Minister on any welfare requirements that he sees fit. However, the jobs have to be respected too and the contribution that is made throughout rural Ireland, including in countries like my own in Wexford.