LAST UPDATE | 22 Oct 2024

THE DÁIL HAS heard varying views on the greyhound racing industry today as it debated additional funding for it and the horse racing sector. 

During the debate, government and other opposition TDs, including members of Sinn Féin and Labour’s Alan Kelly, supported the case for additional funding. 

Meanwhile, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy railed against the scale of government funding being provided to the industry.

Junior minister in the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon told the Dáil that the greyhound racing industry is “an integral part of the social fabric of our country”.

He said the horse racing sector directly and indirectly supports 30,000 jobs, while the greyhound industry supports 4,000 jobs.  

“The finance provided to the greyhound racing industry supports economic activity nationwide and helps to maintain a long-standing tradition.  It is widely acknowledged that funding for this sector is especially important for rural Ireland,” Heydon said.

As part of Budget 2025, the Government agreed to increase funding for horse and greyhound racing by €4.1m. The move will bring total state funding for greyhound racing to €19.8 million annually.

However, to give affect to the additional funding, the limit set by government for funding under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2021 must be increased by way of a regulation. This is what was being debated today, with a vote on the matter scheduled to take place tomorrow night. 

The total allocation given to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund in Budget 2025 is €99.1 million. Some 80% of this, €79.3 million, will go to Horse Racing Ireland while 20%, €19.8 million, will go to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (Greyhound Racing Ireland). 

Last week, junior minister in the Department of Sport, Thomas Byrne, said greyhound racing is an industry “not a sport”.

Speaking ahead of the Dáil debate today, People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said this comment was “bizarre”. 

“The comparison is that in reality, while they throw money at the horse and greyhound racing industry, they give a fraction of that to all of the actual sports in this country,” Murphy said. 

Budget 2025 saw €30m allocated to national sport governing bodies and local sports partnerships.

“Ireland is one of only seven countries where greyhound racing remains legal,” Murphy said, adding that it is an “absolute scandal” to continue the scale of funding. 

Speaking during today’s debate, Sinn Féin TD for Tipperary Martin Browne said more needs to be done in relation to animal welfare in the industries and around transparency of prize funds. 

“Continually there are questions about whether prize money, which often goes to the big business owners, is disproportionately being drawn away from smaller operators,” Browne said.

Labour TD Alan Kelly told the Dáil that he and his party have always supported the funding of both industries. 

“I do so because I know how important, traditionally, these industries are,” Kelly said, adding that he was “born in Tipperary a few fields away from Tiger Roll, one of the most successful horses ever.”

Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae also spoke in favour of additional funding, referring to those involved in greyhound racing as “the doggy men”.

“People put their hearts and souls into the dogs.  The people I know would not harm any dog. They would not harm the hair on your head, although I do not have much hair on my head,” he said.

“These are the kind of people I am supporting and want to continue to support.  I thank the Minister of State. Any euro he can send in their direction will be very important and money well spent,” he added.

Meanwhile, Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns questioned why the Government is “so insistent on propping up this industry”.

“Why is it so insistent the greyhound racing is an integral part of our culture when race tracks are virtually empty around the country?,” Cairns asked. 

She added: “The importance of the industry to the survival of rural communities is fantasy.  If parties in this Chamber are so convinced of its importance and its popularity, why not let it survive on a commercial basis?”

The Cork South-West TD pointed to concerns around animal welfare and said greyhound racing is a “cruel” industry with “no place in a modern society”. 

“Of course there are breeders and trainers who love and care for their dogs, but they operate in an industry with rampant animal welfare abuses, injuries, fatalities, overbreeding and culls,” Cairns said. 

Cairns noted that Sinn Féin voted in favour of increasing funding to both industries last year and said she hopes they will not do the same this year. 

“I fully expect the motion will pass despite all these glaring unaddressed issues, not with the support of the majority of the public but somehow with the support of the majority of parties in this Chamber,” she said.