Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

788. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of non-coursing greyhounds active on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann race management system as of 13 June 2025, broken down by year of birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39074/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

789. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of vacant WTE veterinary inspectors within his Department as of 7 July 2025; if he will provide same figures as of 31 December 2023, in tabular form. [39125/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department is committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. Workforce planning processes are utilised to identify our requirements across all our grade streams and locations, aiming to ensure a long-term, proactive and strategic plan by which current and future staffing needs are addressed.

As business needs arise, staff are allocated to support organisational priorities within my Department. Overall staffing levels and required skills are monitored to ensure business needs are met. Requirements are continually addressed in order to minimise the duration for which a post remains vacant.

On 7th July 2025, a total of 27 Veterinary Inspector vacancies were identified and work is ongoing within the HR Division of my Department to minimise any delay in the allocation of officers to these vacancies. Please see table below:

Our records do not readily lend themselves to retrospectively identifying the number of vacancies on a specific historic date. Consequently, the number of vacancies broken down by grade as existed at year end 2023 are not available.