Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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22. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that Bord na gCon is following through on its commitments to attract more owners, breeders and trainers to the greyhound industry, particularly in view of the recent 20% cut to prize money, and the deductions from race grants for breeding incentives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18672/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Following the publication of the Indecon Report in July, 2014, Bord na gCon submitted an action plan with timelines for implementing the 27 recommendations in the Indecon Report dealing with governance, finance, regulation and welfare.Bord na gCon has assured my Department that it has diligently followed up on the undertakings included inits response to the Indecon Report.

Indecon suggested that BnG consider if resources permit, organising a further breeding incentive that is not linked to its prize money structure in order to ensure support for the breeding of greyhounds.

Bord na gCon is considering the introduction of an incentive scheme in response to the Indecon report on the greyhound industry. The intention is to develop, resource and implement an ownership programme to stimulate the level of breeding and training through increased ownership. Targeting ownership has the effect of increasing breeding, growing the greyhound population and also increasing the number of greyhounds in training.

In advance of settling on any particular ownership scheme and to ensure the optimum use of resources the BNG intend to consult with all industry stakeholders on the development of an incentive scheme to grow and develop ownership and greyhound pools in Ireland. This is also intended to ensure that the scheme will deliver on its objectives and be both an effective and efficient use of public funds.

The following are the objectives for any new incentive scheme to be introduced into the industry

1. To increase the size of the dog pool in Ireland while also improving the quality of greyhound within the pool

2. To increase the number of owners involved in greyhound racing

3. To promote responsible breeding

4. To promote the welfare of greyhounds in Ireland before, during and after the racing career.