Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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952. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the €500,000 debt at a racetrack (details supplied) was cleared by Greyhound Racing Ireland; and the terms and conditions for clearing this debt. [7892/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) 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. RCÉ 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 RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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953. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider banning the surgical artificial insemination of greyhounds and other canines due to the growing body of veterinarian medical evidence regarding animal welfare issues from surgical artificial insemination of canines and in view that Britain has outlawed the practise. [7893/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not received any welfare complaints in relation to the procedure outlined by the Deputy. There are no related policy proposals being considered currently. 

The artificial insemination of greyhounds is regulated under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Act, 2005. There are no plans to amend these regulations at present.

Under the Veterinary Practice Act 2005, the definition of the practice of veterinary medicine includes diagnosing disease, injury, pain, deformity, defect or state of health of an animal, identifying and carrying out treatment, whether surgical or medical in nature, of any such matters and performing a surgical procedure on an animal.

It is an offense (with a few limited exceptions) for anyone other than a registered veterinary practitioner to undertake such activities. Furthermore, the practice of veterinary medicine must only be undertaken from a premises for which a certificate of suitability has been issued by the Veterinary Council of Ireland

The Veterinary Council of Ireland is the statutory body that regulates the practice of veterinary medicine in the State - it maintains a register of veterinary practitioners, veterinary nurses and veterinary premises for which a certificate of suitability has been issued.