Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I move that:

That Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022, copies of which were laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 13th October, 2022.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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An important pillar of Government policy is to ensure that the horse and greyhound racing industries achieve their maximum potential and, in so doing, contribute to economic and social development over a wide geographic distribution. The horse and greyhound racing industries make valuable contributions to a balanced regional economy. It is estimated that the thoroughbred sector has an annual economic impact of €1.84 billion, with direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people, while the greyhound sector economically benefits an estimated 10,000 people. The thoroughbred sector, in particular, brings a high level of international investment into Ireland.

Government funding, in addition to supporting these key industries, presents an excellent opportunity to yield a high return on its investment, leading to a flow of income right through the economy. Support for certain strategic industries is important for future economic growth and to spread economic activity broadly across society and the country. The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, under section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. Payments are made from the fund to Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, and to Rásaíocht Con Éireann, RCÉ, for the greyhound sector.

In the period 2001 to date, a total of €1.54 billion has been paid from the fund to the horse and greyhound racing industries in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The cumulative upper limit on payments from the fund provided for under the relevant regulations has been reached. Exchequer support provided from the fund is crucial to the continued development of both industries. In order to give effect to the provisions of budget 2023, this cumulative upper limit must be increased by regulation. The Estimates for my Department passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas as part of budget 2023 include an allocation of €91 million for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. This will be distributed in accordance with section 12(6) of the 2001 Act, with 80%, or €72 million, going to HRI and the remaining 20%, or €18.2 million, going to Rásaíocht Con Éireann.

In order to allow my Department to provide for the moneys allocated in budget 2023, it is necessary to comply with the technical requirement under section 12(13) of the Act to increase the cumulative upper limit on the amount payable from the fund by €91 million, bringing it to €1.64 billion. This is achieved by way of the regulations submitted to this House today. The aggregate limit on the fund has been increased in this manner in 2004, as well as in the years from 2009 to 2022, inclusive.

Regarding the horse racing industry, the 2017 Deloitte report into the economic impact of the Irish breeding and racing sector, commissioned by HRI, indicated that the total direct and stimulated expenditure of the Irish breeding and racing industry supports the direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people, as I said earlier. Horse racing generates a significant return for the rural economy and a positive international profile for our country. Of course, behind all the facts and figures are the thousands of men and women who, directly and indirectly, make the Irish racing and breeding industry what it is today.

The Irish equine breeding and racing industry is extremely competitive at a global level and is a beacon of excellence. Ireland is the second largest producer of bloodstock in the world by value sold, after the USA, and we also have the third highest number of thoroughbreds foaled each year, after the USA and Australia. The importance of a strong welfare and integrity foundation is crucial and this is well recognised throughout the industry. The Department continues to work with HRI, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, IHRB, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the highest standards of integrity and welfare are maintained.

In that regard, in November last year, the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine published a report on horse racing in Ireland. At the joint committee’s request, an international equine anti-doping expert, Dr. Craig Suann, was commissioned to conduct an independent review of the IHRB’s equine anti-doping programme. This review concluded that the programme does “at least match international best practice in most respects and has made significant advances in recent years”. Nevertheless, further improvements are always possible. HRI has informed the Department that it spent some €5.4 million on a suite of equine welfare initiatives last year, with €5.8 million to be spent this year. These initiatives include support for animal welfare bodies to identify new careers for horses once they exit racing, infrastructural improvements at racecourses to mitigate risks to horses and support for the Irish Equine Centre.

Moving to the greyhound racing industry, according to the 2021 Power report, the sector supported up to 10,000 people who derived economic benefit from it. The funding provided to the sector helps sustain the long-standing tradition of the industry, which is part of our history and heritage. Future funding is contingent on welfare standards being upheld and this is reflected in annual parameters set out by my Departmental officials in their liaison with Rásaíocht Con Éireann. The Department, along with the sector itself, is committed to continued strengthening of welfare standards and there is a strong commitment to improved animal welfare in this sector in the programme for Government. Provisions in the Greyhound Racing Act 2019, which came into effect in May 2019, will make a real difference in this regard, with this legislation strengthening the legal basis for the industry. It also facilitates the board in focusing on its priority objective of achieving the highest standards of care and welfare of greyhounds.

Overall, this is important funding. It is to follow through on the budget provision which was voted on already and approved by the House. Today's debate follows a comprehensive engagement at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine where the funding provision was extensively examined, teased out and discussed. I have just come from the Dáil where it was again discussed for another hour and we will discuss it here for another hour. This is, therefore, unlike almost any other Vote in respect of the level of scrutiny and discussion devoted to it in the Houses of the Oireachtas. That is positive.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for coming to the House. Before I call Senator Paul Daly, I welcome from the College of Charleston in South Carolina all the students who have come here to Leinster House. One of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence from South Carolina was a guy named Thomas Lynch, who was an Irishman. Councillor Stephen Stokes is here with the students and Senator John McGahon was entertaining them earlier as well. I told them about the Dáil bar, which the Senator forgot to tell them about. I am sure they will get there later. I thank them all for coming to the Seanad today. I call Senator Paul Daly.

Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister to discuss this issue. I also welcome our visitors from South Carolina.

I strongly favour this motion. I record that I am a horse owner and former chairperson of the rural racetrack in Kilbeggan. I held that post for 14 years. One would be right in saying I have a vested interest. That aside, I welcome this funding. I concur with what the Minister said in his conclusion about the scrutiny this budget Vote gets annually. I am a member of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and we had a long meeting where each and every aspect of this funding was discussed with the Minister and the officials of the Department. It has also been discussed in the Dáil and now it is here for further debate. It will get plenty of further scrutiny.

As the Minister rightly said, the value of this money to our rural communities is priceless. It is impossible to actually put a value on what is gained in rural Ireland. There is an old saying that you have to speculate to accumulate. As investments go, from the perspective of the Government and that of the economy, the amount of money we are talking about investing in horse and greyhound racing is small when we look at the rewards reaped through tourism and the jobs that would not be in rural Ireland without it. I refer to the small trainers of greyhounds and horses, the farmers supplying those trainers with hay, the local co-operatives supplying the meal for the animals and the transportation to and from racecourses. When we add up all this return from this investment, it is creating a massive reward for the economy.

Having said that, there will always be issues and questions to be addressed regarding how the money is spent in both sectors. Animal welfare will always come to the fore in any debate. I welcome the Minister's statement that his officials will and do scrutinise the animal welfare policies of the HRI and RCE. The joint committee recently produced a report on issues impacting dog welfare and the entire animal welfare area.It is vitally important at this juncture that the committee's report be dealt with. We want the issue of animal welfare concerning equine, canine and all domestic animals to be treated seriously by having a debate and, indeed, receive the legislation that it so richly deserves. Sometimes we discuss animal welfare in the context of equine and canine sport animals. While it is vitally important that the highest animal welfare standards are set, there are a lot of other animals outside that sphere that are not encompassed by the HRI or RCÉ. I believe that these animals need to be included and have top quality welfare structures. We, therefore, should have a broader debate that encompasses all animals on another day. Having said that, within the two sectors that we are discussing, I welcome the improvements that have been made. I will quote an old saying by a former leader of my party. There is "A lot done. More to do".

As the Minister will be aware, the joint committee had a lot of meetings on anti-doping in horses based on media commentary and some accusations made by individuals within the sport. I am a member of the committee. It produced a comprehensive report, which has been passed on to the appropriate place, but I still have a lot of questions about anti-doping. Many questions were left unanswered and many accusations have been left hanging and never proven definitively to have been false. While I welcome the report by Dr. Suann, and the investment of the share of the money it gets from the HRI for animal welfare, we still cannot afford to take our eye off this ball. I welcome the Minister's comment that some of the conditions connected to this money being paid annually are thrashed out with the relevant bodies.

I wish to mention another issue that arose at the joint committee, and often arises in this regard, which is the volume of money that eventually is spent on prize money. There is a perception that a small number of larger owners or trainers receive the vast majority of this money. I am a small owner who is on a low rung of the ladder and I would like a lot more of the money to filter down. However, if we do not set high standards then we will not maintain our global position as standard bearers for the horse and greyhound industry. It is the top prize money that attracts owners to locate the best stallions and mares in Ireland. In any sport, competitors follow the money and I reiterate the soccer example I gave at the committee meetings. The money that is in the Premier League in England is the reason that the League of Ireland is as weak as it is in Ireland because the players, sponsors and everybody concerned follow the money. If we allow our standards to drop then our horse owners, big horse owners and our top horses will end up going to the Middle East, the UK or Australia to follow the prize money and, therefore, it is imperative that we maintain parity in respect of prize money. Things filter downwards and if we are not at the top of the industry then we will have a problem at all levels. I would like to see the Minister have an input when it comes to how the HRI distributes its money.

Two infrastructural projects that have been on the cards for a long time - the national equine centre and a second all-weather track. I would love to see some of the money filtered through to progress those two projects. The joint committee discussed the issue of anti-doping and learned that all samples must be sent off the island to be tested. It is vitally important, therefore, that we invest in a national equine centre that has laboratories thus allowing us to test samples on this island.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister to the Chamber.

I am happy to support the motion, which is the annual one to raise the State funding cap for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. A lot is said every year about improvements that could be made in the industry, with animal welfare being a top priority. I support the proper and humane treatment of the animals involved in these sports. Every assistance should be given to the governing bodies to implement top-level standards of care for horses and greyhounds alike. There are people who point to areas of possible improvement such as these and say that on account of some practices not being perfect, we should scrap everything and ban everything too. If we banned everything that was not perfect in this country, we would have nothing left.

Many politicians did not grow up in places where these sports, and the participation of the community in them, were woven into the fabric of a shared community life. Let us not forget that horse racing, the thoroughbred industry and greyhound racing are vibrant and important parts of the culture and economy of this country, particularly the rural economy and rural life.

Ireland as a whole has a long and proud tradition of horse racing. Cork has the honour of being the birthplace of the steeplechase back in 1752, which I feel could only ever have started in Ireland. Horse racing in Bellewstown, County Meath, where I am a volunteer unpaid member of the committee, took place even before that in 1726. Horse racing provides direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people. The horse racing industry generates €1.9 billion annually for the economy. Ireland is the third biggest producer of thoroughbred foals in the world. We attract significant interest and investment globally as a result of our high standing in the sector. Significant employment and economic benefit is derived from greyhound racing as well.

With the investment of €91 million in the industry in budget 2023, there have been steady increases in the standard of care afforded to animals and our national racing standards can be improved upon as well. For all that it brings to our country and our communities, I will support this motion.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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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.

Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party)
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As everyone will expect me to say, the Green Party is fundamentally against the greyhound industry. In fact, the party's manifesto says that we believe that public funding at least should be phased out for the industry.It has been a challenge for us. We knew on entering Government that we would have to make compromises. This is a compromise I find incredibly difficult, but it is important that I make the case for the decoupling of greyhound racing from horse racing every year, because they are two fundamentally different activities. Let us consider the statistics. People do not like greyhound racing and it is dying out. I live in a city where we have a greyhound racing track. It provides next to no employment because it is very casual in nature and people are not dependent on it for their income, so let us be honest about it. I also find it quite upsetting when people use rural Ireland as an excuse for everything. It is questionable that we would put industry over the welfare of animals, and that is happening in greyhound racing. People may not realise this but all the funding comes from gambling and it all goes into the one industry of horse racing and greyhound racing. It needs to be more evenly spread and, indeed, the Federation of Irish Sport also believes it needs to be equally spread across all sports.

Let us look at the funding. Some €91 million went into horse and greyhound funding this year. This was split 80:20 between horse racing and greyhound racing. A total of €18.2 million went to Rásaíocht Con Éireann. Let us compare this to some of the other things we spend that kind of money on. Under this Government, funding for the National Parks the Wildlife Service, NPWS, has doubled to €53 million, which is very positive. However, up until the formation of this Government, the funding going into the NPWS was not far off what is going into greyhound racing, and that does not make sense to me. Underlying this is the fact that funding from this State is going to the UK. Approximately 6,300 pups are exported every year to the industry in the UK. They are pups that are raised on the €18.2 million. Irish funding is being used to promote an industry in another country and we are standing by and watching this happen. In addition to the 6,300 pups, there is a surplus of 6,000 pups. These dogs never make it to a racing track. They are never chipped and traced. In some cases, we do not know where they go. Some are rehomed, some are exported without a trace, and we just do not know what happens to the others. Perhaps they disappear.

Under the law, in order for the funds to be distributed, the strategic plans of the organisations must not be deficient or unreasonable. That is correct for the horse racing industry, but I do not think it is correct for the greyhound industry. In one part of Rásaíocht Con Éireann's strategic plan, it states the organisation wants to dramatically reduce the number of dogs bred and in another part it states it wants to offer breeding incentives. Even in this small way, the strategic plan does not stack up.

The reason our hands are tied is because the funding is tied to the horse racing industry, which is not a bad industry. If we want transparency, a simple solution would be to decouple the two industries, as my colleague, Deputy Hourigan, and I have argued. This would allow for much better transparency and it would let the industry see if it can survive without the funding from gambling. If it can - fair enough - that is its own business. However, it should not be the business of the State to support the industry, not when we know about the welfare issues, not when we know that some of the funding is going to another country, and not when we know that it is an industry that is dying out, with only 16% of people saying they support it.

I know I will not be successful today, but it is important for me to continue to stand up and say this so that, eventually, we will get political success. If people were really honest and went back to their constituencies, they would find there are not that many people who back greyhound racing.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 2:

To insert the following after “October, 2022”: “; that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall:

- conduct a full review of the Exchequer funding to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund with a view to examining the social and economic impact of the Fund, including the efficacy of the Fund in supporting the development of both sectors, the broadest cohort of those involved in both sectors and rural communities; also examine whether the use of the Fund to subsidise prize funds represents best value for money, and the efficacy of the Fund in ensuring the highest levels of animal welfare standards; and

- report to Seanad Éireann within six months of these Regulations being adopted on the findings of the review”.

I will speak to our two amendments during my contribution. My ears should have been burning when the Minister was referring to me in the Dáil Chamber when I was not there. I am quite open about my views on greyhound racing. I have made no bones about it. It is like rugby. I do not particularly like rugby, but I will always advocate for greater safety measures to protect players of the sport. Likewise, I will come into the Seanad and argue, on behalf of the dogs in greyhound racing, to improve animal welfare issues. That is in the interest of anybody who actually is in favour of greyhound racing. If they want it to continue and to be successful, they should deal with the animal welfare issues that are outstanding. If the Minister wants to talk about running with the hare and double standards, he should be more concerned about his colleague's comments on refugees.

One of our two amendments seeks an economic impact report relating to the 80:20 split in funding. The Minister has stated previously that the funding allocation is determined on the basis of the business cases brought by both dog organisations. However, under the current legislation, one organisation could send in a comprehensive proposal for additional funding, while the other could send in a one-pager and they would both receive the funding because they are linked. There is nothing about the individual business plans that impacts on whether they get the money because they are both linked to each other. Even the organisations have stated they do not have a problem with the decoupling of the 80:20 split. Therefore, if people are being honest about not having an issue, I do not understand where the resistance is coming from. Surely, each organisation should be applying on the merit of its business plan.

I have raised the findings of the Preferred Results report of 2017, which stated the greyhound industry is no longer a racing-centric industry; rather, its primary focus is on breeding. The focus on breeding raises concerns on what happens to the dogs that do not make the cut, but I will get to the matter of traceability later. If we are giving money to the industry, has Rásaíocht Con Éireann set out how it intends to address the issue of overbreeding that was flagged in the Preferred Results report? Putting aside the ethics of overbreeding, it does not make any commercial sense for an organisation to produce so many dogs when the oversupply is going to Britain. I will get to what happens to the poor dogs that do not make the cut later. Between 82% to 85% of dogs racing in Britain are Irish bred. Yet the British greyhound board stated in its recently published strategic vision that its aim was to take steps to promote breeding and rearing of greyhounds in Britain and to encourage the owners and trainers to acquire the puppies from reputable British breeders and rearers with high welfare standards. Has Rásaíocht Con Éireann carried out a risk assessment of the impact a fall-off in sales of Irish greyhounds in Britain might have? What plans will be put in place to ensure the dogs that would have gone to Britain will be cared for in Ireland?

I refer to the traceability measures that have been taken since the RTÉ exposé of 2019. The Irish Coursing Club provides the software for both the Irish and British microchip systems, but only one is registered with Europetnet. Given 85% of Irish-bred dogs are registered under the British microchip system, Rásaíocht Con Éireann has significant purchasing power. Has the organisation insisted that the microchip system in Britain be linked with Europetnet? If that were the case, it would allow full traceability in the movement of dogs. Many British microchip systems are linked with Europetnet, so it has nothing to do with Brexit. Can we also insist that all retired greyhounds only be registered with Europetnet databases on retirement? That would allow a greater level of transparency.

As to the claims that 10% of the funding goes toward animal welfare and integrity, the 10% needs to be ring-fenced completely for animal welfare, because I think we are conflating different issues. When one looks at integrity, it also deals with the issue of the drugging of dogs. If the drugging of dogs is considered an animal welfare issue, why are dogs that are found to have cocaine in their system not seized on welfare grounds? If it is welfare funding and it is all linked, why are the dogs not being seized on those grounds?

It is deeply concerning that track deaths went up by 29% in 2021.In the committee, the Minister referred to figures that were recorded during Covid-19 and he tried to conflate Covid-19 issues. The reality is that compared with the last pre-Covid races, the figures show that track deaths have gone up by 29%. That must be of concern to anybody who is interested in greyhound racing. Why are greyhound deaths going up?

Britain has reduced their fatality rates, has veterinarians at all trials and has an outright ban in place on surgical artificial insemination, AI. We have tabled an amendment on this issue because the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has called for a similar ban here, including in respect of greyhounds. The committee was told by a veterinarian that even in sterile conditions, surgical AI carries risks and is a highly invasive procedure. Given that the recommendation secured cross-party support at the committee, I am sure there will be no problem in supporting a ban here.

The final issue of concern, which I also raised with the Minister at the committee, is the recommendation by the Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation, IGOBF, that its members do not give dogs to welfare organisations that have an anti-racing status. That is completely inappropriate. The Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, IRGT, is funded with public money, which it uses to help some of the welfare organisations that take the excess dogs the trust cannot deal with. The IRGT has a waiting list of between four and five months. It is completely inappropriate for the IGOBF to tell its members not to give dogs to shelters that are looking to put dogs in forever homes.

Annie Hoey (Labour)
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My views on animal welfare are no secret in this House. I have expressed them here and I have a long history on this matter. I abhor animal cruelty. I neither have faith in nor do I believe that this fund is necessary or the best use of moneys at this time. I have never voted in favour of this fund, and I will not vote in favour of it now. I will deal with the consequences of that in my own time.

Animal welfare issues come up all the time in Irish society and people have a visceral response to them. It was only a couple of months ago that I was before the House discussing animal welfare issues at Dublin Zoo. People had a visceral response to that and we have seen a similar response in relation to the greyhound industry. I need not raise the infamous RTÉ programme on the industry, which was met with a visceral response from the Irish public. Senator Pauline O'Reilly noted that a poll found that 16% of the public continue to support the industry. This means that 84% of those polled do not support the industry. That is a significant number and it needs to be taken seriously.

Based on some of the responses, the least we can do is look at how we regulate the system and fund greyhound and horse racing. The horse and greyhound racing industries are supported by the State through a ring-fenced statutory fund and a significant amount of that funding going towards prizes. This has been the subject of debate over the past couple of weeks. Those prizes tend to go to the most successful. Close to €50 million in tax-free prizes go to some of the richest people in Ireland, not all of whom pay tax here. I do not know if that is the best use of this fund.

Other can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the horse racing industry receives financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, with €72.8 million having been allocated to support horse racing in 2023, 80% of which can be applied to prize money. That means an incredible amount of money is going into prizes. That is wild. When people sit down and think about that, I do not believe they would consider it a good use of funds.

I listened to the Minister debate this issue with Deputy Paul Murphy on a radio programme. He spoke about the two sides to this and said that in terms of winnings, greyhound racing is a loss-making industry for those who take part in it. It is, he said, by and large a hobby that actually costs those who are involved in it. We know this industry is not making money and is in decline. The level of interest in greyhound racing has been in decline since 2008. I understand 1.1 million people attended races in 2008, while in the first few months of this year, the figure was as low as 73,000. Besides the rapid decline in interest, 6,300 greyhounds are sold to the UK every year at a loss of almost €5,000 each. That is a lot of money that this industry is haemorrhaging.

If the State is seeking to promote compassion and kindness - Members of both Houses often speak about compassion and kindness - we need to think about vulnerable animals. It is not enough to be only concerned about humanitarian action. As a nation, we need to address how we treat animal welfare overall and not only in the greyhound industry. We are not looking at this in the right way. If I am honest, I believe the greyhound and horse racing industry monetises animal suffering. This cruel act of war against our animals and this trade for profit take place before our eyes. I need not go into some of the ways the animals in this industry are being treated. We justify the killing of an innocent dog because it cannot continue to make those who profit from it money. Thirty-eight greyhounds are killed each month in the industry for overbreeding. That figure is repugnant.

We have tabled a balanced amendment. I went through the Minister’s remarks. When dealing with any other Bill or motion, the Minister does not call out people for not tabling an amendment at any other point. This is the motion we have before us. I noticed that in the Lower House the Minister skewered Deputies for not tabling motions or doing anything in between. We know this motion comes up every year and we have tabled a balanced amendment. We are asking the Minister to look at how the industry is funded and to determine if this is the best use of funds and how best to support the sectors. The amendment also has a workers’ rights element. We recognise that this industry is still a strong albeit declining part of some communities. We want the Minister to accept the amendment and look at how this fund is distributed and how the rights of the workers in the sector can be improved. We want an employment regulation order to be introduced setting minimum rates of pay and conditions. As has been noted, this fund comes from a betting levy but the revenue is only allocated to the horse and greyhound industries. The distribution of funding towards other sports areas needs to be considered.

I have laid out my personal bona fidesin this matter, as I have done previously. I come from a family that used to breed and race horses. The Crufty point-to-point race used to take place outside our front window. We could have sat and watched it at home if we had wanted to. However, we do not have horse racing on our land any more. We recognise that it is not a sustainable or proper way to treat animals. I ask the Minister to consider our fair and balanced amendment, which gives him an opportunity to come back to both Houses on how we can deal with this fund. I implore him to consider that. I will not vote in favour of this fund, and I never will.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I echo the calls on the Minister to consider or accept some of the amendments that have been tabled by a number of groups. I have my own amendments, which I will go through one by one. Constructive proposals have been put forward by other parties. If accepted, they would mean we will be in a better position next year. I say that after a number of years of rolling through this issue. Again and again, the same issues come up and they are not being properly addressed. It would be good to see something different come through next year. The amendments call for reviews that would put us in a position of having a better proposal and a better set of separate propositions put to the House next year.

I will speak first to amendment No. 5 and thereafter to amendment No. 4 and others. Amendment No. 5 calls for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund to be separated into two funds. We have heard the business cases for each industry. While there are issues with both, the business case for greyhound racing does not stand up. I say that as somebody who, regardless of the business case, has significant animal welfare concerns.We are seeing those concerns and the damage done by the industry being set aside, not for any meaningful benefit to anybody but to prop up an industry that the public have spoken about with their feet by moving away from it in droves. The very low percentages of support are there. We need to have separate and honest discussions with regard to both of these separate areas next year. I urge that instead of having a single motion, we have two motions before us at that point.

I will focus on amendment No. 4 as someone who agrees with others that we need to phase out greyhound racing in Ireland. To prop it up in the way that is being done, especially when it is becoming, effectively, a breeding industry - one that raises very significant concerns - is unconscionable. In the interim, however, one of the positive measures we have is related to an amendment put forward by myself and Senator Ruane when the Greyhound Racing Act 2019 passed through these Houses. An amendment was inserted at that time requiring a provision for the rehoming of greyhounds. I followed that amendment with great interest because it is one Senator Ruane and I successfully inserted at that time.

I am very concerned that over the past year, it seems the provisions in section 29 around funding for welfare and rehoming seem to be moving backwards. A report in the Irish Examinerin August this year stated that the Irish greyhound racing authority had stopped funding to one of its key welfare programme because it felt the programme was unsustainable or had been deprioritised within its budget, and that it indefinitely paused its relationship with the Irish greyhounds to America programme because of the rates in transporting dogs to the US. Very concerningly, there were signals that the Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation sent out a reminder and a note to greyhound owners telling them not to use rescue or rehoming services that were critical of the greyhound racing industry, and that the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, which is effectively funded by the State, should only engage with rehoming services that refrain from criticising the industry, even though rehoming is just a small gesture towards tackling the key issues, one of which is overbreeding. We can rehome, which is important, but if we continue to overbreed to the point where we have thousands of dogs each year that never get to race and thousands of others that are exported, of course, those who care enough to drive and deliver animal welfare and rehoming services will be also critical of a system that is creating a large number of dogs in need of rehoming.

There is a requirement for regulations under section 29. They can be updated but they require consultation with the Minister. I really would appreciate an indication of how he intends to engage with the implementation of section 29. My amendment No. 4 calls for a report showing how the obligation in respect of rehoming has, in fact, been delivered. It seems that many of these schemes that started in section 29 because they were required to are now being pulled away from. Indeed, the funding is being redirected away from welfare and even away from rehoming. The level of track deaths of 29% is a very worrying signal in respect of welfare. If this industry is dying, let it not be the case that it allows many dogs to die first before the industry accepts that its financial model is on its last legs.

I must also discuss my other two amendments. I will be very brief. Amendments Nos. 6 and 7 are in respect of the human rights and equality Acts and the allocation to community projects. This is more targeted at horseracing. There is a public duty in equality and human rights that applies to all public bodies and publicly funded bodies. It would be appropriate for us to look at how some of the funding, for example, the large amounts of funding directed into prizes, might be reallocated towards community projects encouraging, for example, healthy and safe horse ownership in urban areas in response to the 2019 report on Traveller horse ownership-----

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I am sorry; I have to call the Minister at 14 minutes past and I have two more speakers.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I apologise. I would like the Minister to look at amendment No. 6 as a constructive proposal for more community engagement and making this a more meaningful fund in terms of horse racing.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. I welcome the debate we are having tonight. I will put on record that I am neither an owner or breeder of greyhounds or horses. I am, however, an extraordinary supporter of the industries on which we need to have a balanced debate in these House. To listen to some of the discourse tonight, one would think the men and women who work in our greyhound and horse racing industries have no care or concern and are only motivated by own thing, which is very unfair.

I welcome the allocation of €72.8 million to Horse Racing Ireland. I commend the Minister on the work he is doing. Yes, the funding is significant, but the contribution of our horse racing and greyhound industries to our national psyche, rural community and economies both urban and rural is absolutely extraordinary. It is not about jobs, which are important, and it is not about balanced regional development. I can tell all those who are watching and listening, however, about the buzz, excitement and interest in the Irish Laurels at Cork greyhound track on a Saturday a few weeks ago. It was the biggest crowd at the track in a long time. I commend Mr. Frank Nyhan, Mr. Jimmy Barry Murphy and all involved in the greyhound industry on bringing back the Irish Laurels in the autumn and ensuring the Cork track was full on the night of the final.

The 2021 report by Jim Power entitled, The Economic and Financial Significance of the Irish Greyhound Industry is worth reading for a number of reasons. There is a telling line in it that without Government support, "there would be considerable implications for rural employment and economic activity." That is a very important line.

Some of the political parties in these House of the Oireachtas speak about how rural Ireland is dying or how Government is not doing enough for rural Ireland. We have two industries, as Senator Paul Daly very eloquently outlined, that are at the heart and core of rural Ireland. Senator Lombard spoke about Glenbane Bridge, which is a great place for greyhounds and horses. Up the road in Belgooly is Mr. Robert Splaine's showjumping farm. Are we really saying we are going to just flick a switch and write off a sport that has brought so much joy and economic benefit to our country? Is that what we are saying? Look at the row this week between Mr. Gordon Elliott and Mr. Paul Nicholls about the state of Irish racing versus British racing. This morning, Mr. Michael O'Leary, an entrepreneur and businessman who has given investment to horse racing in our country, appeared before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications.

Are we seriously saying that the joy of winning up the hill in Cheltenham, heading to Epsom Downs to win or going across to America for the Breeder's Cup or whatever will not be of benefit to our country? When we look at breeding, we see the renowned acclaim that Coolmore Stud is given across the world. Let us, therefore, have a real debate about the greyhound industry in terms its challenges, and it is facing challenges. There is declining attendance. Tracks are being closed. The Greyhound Racing Act 2019 about which Senator Higgins spoke, however, puts in place a legal statute for the need for strong regulation. The whole greyhound traceability system, for example, enables greyhounds to be traced throughout their lives. The Rásaíocht Con Éireann system was introduced in 2021 in terms of greyhound welfare. It is important that we look at the whole issue. We should not shy away from the fact that as Senator Paul Daly said, there are issues that need to be addressed. We have issues in terms of the board of Horse Racing Ireland and the appointment of a chief executive in the greyhound industry. I am confident our industry will stand up to scrutiny, however, and will be recognised as being a good one.I accept that, as Senator Hoey said, there were elements in the "Prime Time" report that were disturbing. Those of us who love those sports do not get any joy in issues of welfare being brought forward and people being found guilty. They should be held to account. I make no apology for saying that. Any of the people I know who are involved in greyhounds or horseracing are very important.

Senator Daly touched on an important point, one that is not necessarily pertinent to this debate but one on which we need to dwell, namely the issue of all-weather tracks. We have seen the success in Dundalk. Senator Daly is in Kilbeggan in the midlands, which could be a good venue for an all-weather track. I am not saying that he is looking for that, but given the area it is something we need to consider. Days are lost and there are issues of welfare around heavy ground that could be addressed by an all-weather track, especially given the location of Kilbeggan.

In the round, the challenges that have been faced have been met by the greyhound and horseracing industries. It is important that we support that and recognise their economic importance to our country, the creation of jobs and the benefit to the national psyche.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister to the House. This is a multi-million euro fund for horse and greyhound racing, which should carry conditions in terms of corporate governance. We have not discussed corporate governance and the conditionality around animal welfare during this debate. There is much merit in what is proposed in many of the amendments. There has been a lot of debate on all sides about the recurring theme of animal welfare.

I thank Senator O'Reilly, who was courageous, brave, forthright and honest in her contribution. At the end of the day, it is a tripartite Government. The Government coalition budget in 2023 agreed, in principle, for €91 million to be allocated to the fund. It is now proposed by the Minister to allocate €72.8 million of this to HRI and €18.2 million to the IGB. That is a decision that was made by the Government, and agreed and voted on. The people in question know who they are.

As the Minister said, the Oireachtas has approved a process of allocation by regulation which, in some ways, is technically different from the general estimated allocation of his Department. If I was to make one ask, it would be that the Minister include specific requirements on corporate governance and animal welfare in his letter on parameters. As the Minister will know, a parameters letter is issued by him after the approval. I am aware of the letter he issued last year. The Minister might confirm he has the scope within his parameters letter to issue certain conditions relating to funding. I ask him to reflect on the contributions here today and consider incorporating very strong language, guidance and conditions regarding animal welfare and corporate governance. As we know in another sporting industry, Horse Sport Ireland, there are issues around governance.

The Minister has been a great promoter of the working together animal welfare policy, a copy of which I have here. I ask that the Minister agree early in the new year to facilitate a debate on animal welfare, based on delivery of the key objective of the working together animal welfare policy. The Minister is committed to the policy and has spoken many times in the Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

I ask the Minister give due consideration to the items discussed in the motion, as well as animal welfare and corporate governance, and use his functions and powers to stipulate, in his parameters letter, strict guidance on animal welfare and corporate governance. They are critically important and I would be interested in hearing about that in the Minister's response.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before bringing in the Minister, I welcome to the Gallery Shane Carroll, who is the godson of Sheena Bourke, and Eoin Carroll who are here on a tour. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank them for coming here today.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senators for their contributions and the very engaging debate on the fund, which as I said at the outset is healthy and important. The level of oversight of this fund is without parallel in terms of the scrutiny it gets, between the Seanad, Dáil and committee in regard to the budget decision being implemented. I acknowledge the contributions of Senators Daly, Keogan, Lombard, O'Reilly, Boylan, Hoey, Higgins, Buttimer and Boyhan.

One of the key themes that has run through all of the contributions is the importance of animal welfare and integrity in the horseracing and greyhound sectors. That is something that is of paramount importance to the Government. It is also paramount to HRI and Rásaíocht Con Éireann. It is a key requirement for funding from the Government to both industries.

It is important to acknowledge that these industries underpin significant employment. The horseracing sector, in particular, employs almost 30,000 people directly and indirectly and has an overall economic benefit of €1.8 billion. The horse and greyhound sector have significant economic impact across the country as a result of Government policy in this regard, in particular the horseracing sector which competes internationally with countries which have multiples of our population and funding from governments to those sectors. It is important that we fund these sectors strongly and keep a consistent policy from the Government point of view.

Both State agencies are composed of boards and organisations which are reflective of the stakeholders in the sectors. They are charged with ensuring that how the funding is provided and invested is done in the most effective way possible and with animal welfare and integrity of both industries at the core.

Regarding oversight, there are strategic plans and ongoing engagement between my Department and Rásaíocht Con Éireann and HRI to ensure funding is spent in the most effective way possible. Oversight is provided by the Oireachtas, of which we have had a fine example today.

There are differing views on the fund. Some are opposed to it and others are opposed to particular aspects. Many recognise the benefit of funding for both industries and are supportive of it. In response to Senator Boylan, the point I made in the Dáil to Deputy Carthy concerned the importance of the funding. I pointed out that in Sinn Féin there are very different approaches to the funding.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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On animal welfare there is no difference of opinion. Welfare is welfare. If we want the industry to succeed and for people to go to the races we have to look after animal welfare.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister, without interruption.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Welfare is important and of paramount importance to the Government. In her contribution, Senator Boylan outlined that she supports the greyhound sector and is committed to-----

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I do not like it.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thought it was interesting that I heard her say she supported the sector. In his contribution in the Dáil, Deputy Carthy was adamant that he and Sinn Féin support the sector. The point I made to him was I hear different contributions from different Members, in particular Senator Boylan, who it appears is against the sector.

The point made to Deputy Carthy was that I expect Sinn Féin, although he did not clarify this, will vote against funding for the horse and greyhound sectors today, despite the fact Sinn Féin representatives have said they support these sectors. I also made the point to him if those who depend on these sectors for their employment were depending on Sinn Féin to support the sector in government, considering that those it wants to go into government with are left-wing parties and are adamantly against the sectors then those in the horse and greyhound racing sectors-----

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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Fix the welfare issues.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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-----have every right to feel very concerned about continued support by Sinn Féin. I know, across the board, that others are a lot more clear in their view of the fund than Sinn Féin because, as I said in reply to Deputy Carthy, I believe that on this issue Sinn Féin is trying to ride two horses. I recognise that there are different views.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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There is a singular view on artificial insemination so we can have a vote on that and see where Fianna Fáil stands on it.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is healthy that we have the debate and the funding has oversight. It is important that the Government continues to support both sectors and continues to invest in the fund to underpin two very important industries..

I thank Senators for their contributions and the amendments they have put forward. The Government, however, will not accept the amendments but will continue to work closely with both industries to ensure that the funding is spent effectively, that integrity and welfare are central to how the funding is spent and that the industries continue to be important parts of the economy.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Is Senator Boylan pressing her amendment? .

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 3:

To insert the following after “October, 2022”: “; that Seanad Éireann:

- notes recommendation No. 4 in the Report of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine entitled ‘Issues impacting Dog Welfare in Ireland’ which stated, ‘given Surgical Artificial Insemination carries risks even when performed in a controlled, sterile and surgical environment, the Committee recommends a complete ban on Surgical Artificial Insemination’;

- notes subsection (10) of section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, which obliges Rásaíocht Capall Éireann to submit strategic plans to the Minister ‘in such manner and at such intervals as required by the Minister with reference to the application of those moneys’ paid to them from the Fund;

- calls on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to request an update to the strategic plan of Rásaíocht Capall Éireann which includes a complete ban on surgical artificial insemination for greyhounds as a greyhound welfare measure; 2244 30 Samhain, 2022

- and further calls on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to make payment from the Fund to Rásaíocht Capall Éireann subject to the introduction of a ban on surgical artificial insemination in greyhound racing”.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 4:

To insert the following after "October, 2022": "; - that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall, within 3 months following the passing of this motion, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the manner in which the obligation for rehoming under section 29 of the Greyhound Racing Act 2019 is being complied with".

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 5:

To insert the following after "October, 2022": "; - that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall, within 3 months following the passing of this motion, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the potential for future regulations to split the Horse and Greyhound Fund into two separate funds".

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 6:

To insert the following after "October, 2022": "; - that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall, within 6 months following the passing of this motion, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the manner in which the operation and dispersal of the Horse and Greyhound Fund has reflected the obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014".

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I second the amendment.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move amendment No. 7:

To insert the following after "October, 2022": "; - that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine shall, within 6 months following the passing of this motion, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas outlining the potential for a dedicated portion of the Fund to be allocated towards community projects which involve the care and protection of animals".

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I second the amendment.