Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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199. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the costs involved in testing one greyhound for illegal substances at the laboratory in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27430/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. The issue raised by the Deputy regarding the costs involved in testing is an operational matter for Bord na gCon.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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200. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the control committee of Bord na gCon is sufficiently independent, given that it is appointed by the board itself; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27431/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, charged with the regulation and development of the greyhound racing industry. The Control Committee and the Control Appeals Committee of Bord na gCon are established under legislation (Greyhound Industry, Control Committee and Control Appeal Committee Regulations 2007, S.I. Number 301 of 2007).

The Control Committee consists of five members who are appointed by the Board of Bord na gCon. Under Article 5 of the legislation establishing the Control Committee and Control Appeal Committee, at least one practising solicitor or practising barrister and at least one veterinarian shall be appointed to the Control Committee from time to time and the term of office of members of the Control Committee shall be three years but retiring members shall be eligible for reappointment.

The existing Control Committee was appointed by the Board on the 29th August, 2013, in accordance with Article 5 of the same legislation.

Article 9 of the above legislation provides for situations where a member of the Control Committee has (other than in that capacity) a pecuniary interest or other beneficial interest in, or material to, any matter to be considered by the Control Committee.

I am satisfied that the Control Committee continue to discharge their statutory and other functions and obligations according to legislative requirements.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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201. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 470 of 9 June 2015, if he will provide details of the group that carried out the review of the dietary contamination by prohibited substances in greyhounds; if he will provide the minutes of the meetings held with this group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27432/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon have informed me that a group comprising of the Head of the National Greyhound Laboratory in Limerick, three Veterinary Surgeons specialising in the care of greyhounds and a Bord nagCon executive was set up in December 2012, to examine certain issues including a review of the issue of dietary contamination by prohibited substances.

Resulting from the findings of the group Bord na gCon changed the threshold levels for certain prohibited substances in October 2013 , and in December 2013 issued a guidance document to greyhound owners and trainers with appropriate withdrawal times for various medications.

Regarding the details of the meetings held with the group; that is an operational matter for BNG.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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202. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 470 of 9 June 2015 if he will provide a list of all the prohibited substances in tabular form, with the old and new thresholds included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27433/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established in 1958 under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. The list of prohibited substances requested by the Deputy with current thresholds can be found on the National Greyhound Laboratory website - www.inab.ie/FileUpload/Testing/Bord-na-gCon-Irish-Greyhound-Board-128T.pdf.