Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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314. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if other options were explored before the Irish Greyhound Board took the decision to sell Harold’s Cross greyhound track; his views on whether the board took the easiest possible option, which was to sell the track; if the board had any less strategic or less used assets to sell other than the Harold’s Cross tragic; and if the board made any attempt to renegotiate its loan with a bank (details supplied). [11111/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, 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 Indecon Report identified a number of assets to be disposed of to reduce Bord na gCon's level of debt. Bord na gCon has already disposed of the old Henry Street Head Office in Limerick. The Harold’s Cross stadium is the most likely of the asset disposal to return sufficient funds to make a substantial contribution towards debt reduction by Bord na gCon.  

Other recommendations designed to improve BNG's financial performance, viz. calibration of races at underperforming tracks and the development of new products, such as co-mingling, were explored, but these measures on their own, were not sufficient to resolve the debt issue.

Bord na gCon has informed me that bank debt has been reduced by circa €2.0m between 2015 and 2016 and that they have recently entered negotiations with Allied Irish Bank to restructure the remaining loan facility.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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315. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the exact date on which the decision was made to close Harold’s Cross greyhound stadium; the person or body that specifically made this decision; when he was notified of this decision; if he was given prior notice of its closure; and if he expressed any views to those persons who took this decision before this information became public, in view of the fact that his Department is a shareholder and provides funding to the greyhound industry. [11118/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Bord na gCon has statutory responsibility for the development of the greyhound racing industry. In that context, it runs commercial operations in a number of greyhound stadia, including Harold's Cross.

On 13th February the Board of Bord na gCon took the decision to cease greyhound racing in Harold's Cross. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was informed of the decision after the Board meeting.

While this development is very regrettable, Bord na gCon's view is that there is no other option if the burden of debt on the organisation is to be reduced in any meaningful way. I understand that its intention is to transfer the Harold's Cross racing schedule to Shelbourne Park, a few kilometres away, and that all 12 staff at Harold's Cross will be offered redeployment.