Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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207. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the future national consultative forum arranged by a board (details supplied) will have members from other associated interests. [51460/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, 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 is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

As per the recommendations of a report into the greyhound industry by the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and following a stakeholders consultative forum held in December 2015, Bord na gCon established a National Greyhound Consultative Forum.

A cross-section of groups are invited to the forum on the basis that they are mandated to represent their members.

As the controlling body of some, but not all, Greyhound Owners & Breeders Associations (GOBAs), the Irish Greyhound Owners & Breeders Federation (IGOBF) is included to represent those affiliations. Other groups, including but not limited to GOBAs no longer affiliated to the IGOBF, are included on the same basis.

The National Greyhound Consultative Forum is held on a quarterly basis with the last meeting having taken place in September 2018. The next meeting will take place in January 2019 with the above cross-section of groups invited to participate.

Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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208. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the employment arrangements in a specific area (details supplied) are satisfactory. [51461/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, 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 is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon.

I have requested officials in my department to refer the question to Bord na gCon for direct reply to the Deputy.