Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 706 of 28 February 2017, the details of any consultation process carried out by his Department in the formulation of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12362/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The General Scheme of the Greyhound Industry Bill 2017 reflects recommendations for legislative change made in a number of reports on the greyhound racing sector, namely the Indecon Report, the Report of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Morris Review of Anti-Doping and Medication in Ireland.

Part of the "Review of Certain Matters Relating to Bord na gCon" conducted by Indecon consultants in 2014 consisted of a wide ranging stakeholder consultation process. Advertisements were placed on the department's website, the farming press and the sporting press seeking submissions from interested parties. A total of 17 submissions were received from a broad range of respondents. The Department has also consulted directly with Bord na gCon, the Irish Coursing Club, the Bord na gCon stakeholder forum and with various representatives on the draft heads of the Greyhound Industry Bill.

The General Scheme of the Bill was approved by Cabinet earlier this week and it will now go for pre-legislative scrutiny. I look forward to publishing the draft scheme on the Department's website to allow those involved in the sport and the general public with an interest in the sector to feed into the pre-legislative process.