Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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167. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legal minimum age for a person in Ireland to obtain a licence to train a greyhound to race; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6625/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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168. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide Greyhound Racing Ireland's costs to sponsor the greyhound laurels race final on television (details supplied) on 5 October 2024; the viewership figures for this broadcast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6626/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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170. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the fee cost or other compensation paid by Greyhound Racing Ireland to social media influencers for the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6628/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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171. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide Greyhound Racing Ireland's costs to sponsor the 2024 Greyhound derby semi-final and final on television (details supplied) on 16 and 23 November 2024; the viewership figures for this broadcast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6629/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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172. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are freezers for deceased greyhounds at all fifteen greyhound racing tracks licenced by Greyhound Racing Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6630/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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174. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will advise on the current location and status of a greyhound (details supplied) which tested positive for a prohibited substance at Curraheen track in Cork on 17 August 2024 and was subsequently sold at a sales auction at Curraheen greyhound track on 2 November 2024 for €1,100, but is still listed in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book under the original owner’s name and listed as ‘GRI-sales’ on the Greyhound Racing Ireland website despite the directive on 1 May 2024 that all purchasers of greyhounds at licensed auctions must be registered with the Irish Coursing Club; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6632/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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175. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how an Irish greyhound (details supplied) is recorded on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann traceability system as it was found very recently in a stray dog pound in the UK, following a seven-day stay and described as "full of fleas, overgrown nails and muzzle marks to the nose already with dirty teeth", while still being registered to its Irish owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6633/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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176. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the 51,650 non-coursing greyhounds who were entered on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann traceability system between January 2021 and 19 October 2024, by year of birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6655/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 167, 168, 170, 171, 172, 174, 175 and 176 together.

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.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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169. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a status update on his Department's public consultation on the proposal to ban surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6627/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhound Regulations 2005.

The report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs, which was approved by Cabinet in March 2023, and has been published online atwww.gov.ie/en/publication/0d6d7-working-group-on-control-of-dogs/#report-of-the-working-group-on-the-control-of-dogs, includes a recommendation that surgical artificial insemination in canines ought to be prohibited, where the word canine encompasses all breeds of dogs, including greyhounds.

Last year my Department held a public consultation on whether the practice of carrying out surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds should be banned or not. This public consultation has now closed, and will contribute to the legislative process. The results of the public consultation will be published in due course.

My Department is closely examining this issue and will be providing advice on an appropriate course of action in the near future.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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173. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when Greyhound Racing Ireland's new five-year strategic plan will be published, considering that the most recent five-year strategic plan expired in December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6631/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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.

RCÉ has informed my Department that the stakeholder consultation process has concluded and the RCÉ Board approved the draft strategic plan at its last meeting. I understand that it will shortly be submitted to the Department for my consideration before being formally finalised by the RCÉ Board.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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177. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of non-coursing greyhounds registered at whelping stage with the Irish Coursing Club for each year from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2024, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6677/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the organisation charged with the role of Keeper of the Irish Greyhound Stud Book (IGSB) since 1923. The Stud Book records pedigrees, ownerships, breeding data and transfers of ownership of all greyhounds. The ICC is subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann.

The ICC has informed my Department that the number of non-coursing greyhounds registered at whelping stage with the Irish Coursing Club for each year from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2024 are as outlined below in tabular form.