Greyhound industry gets another €16 million in Budget 2018
10 October 2017

The government has shamefully allocated another €80 million of taxpayers' money to horse & greyhound racing in Budget 2018 - that's €64 million to horse racing and €16 million to greyhound racing. The sum equals the amount handed over last year and brings to over €1.1 billion the funding since 2001.

Without its 20 per cent share of the funds, the greyhound industry would surely collapse. In continuing to pump millions of public money into greyhound racing, the government is propping up an inherently cruel industry which the Irish public has been increasinly rejecting, evident in major falls in track attendance, betting and sponsorship.

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Andrew Doyle today welcomed the allocation. This is the TD who stood up in Dail Eireann last week and farcically thanked the Irish Greyhound Board for its "valuable contribution to animal welfare" and went on to falsely claim that the government "does not tolerate any instance of animal cruelty" (ignoring the fact that the government actually allows appalling cruelty in the form of hare coursing, foxhunting, terierwork/digging-out, fur farming, puppy farming, etc).

In a statement today, Andrew Doyle said: "Greyhound racing is a traditional industry which plays an integral role in the rural landscape of this country both socially and economically and I am delighted with the allocation of €16m for the industry for 2018. This allocation will continue to support an industry that is responsible for sustaining in excess of 10,000 full and part-time jobs directly and indirectly".

This hugely exaggerated "10,000 jobs" figure has previously been rubbished as "such a gross over-estimate that it's almost laughable". Last December, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed claimed that "Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board] estimates that the greyhound industry employs over 10,300 people" but a few months later he had to admit that, "Bord na gCon has informed me that it currently directly employs 128 full time staff and approximately 720 part time staff".

Later this year, TDs will have an opportunity to vote on the payment of this latest grant via the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2018. It is vital that you contact your local TDs and demand that they vote against it. Find their names & contact details at http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=32&disp=mem

 ACTION ALERT 

Please sign and share our petition
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Industry
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-industry

Don't attend greyhound races or community fund-raisers held at greyhound tracks (these are a significant source of funding for the cruel greyhound industry).

Greyhound racing should not be funded by the people of Ireland, the majority of whom have no interest in it and are rightly opposed to an industry in which dogs are injured, dumped and killed. Please join us in urging the government to stop wasting precious funds on this dying industry.

An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Tweet to: @campaignforLeo
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/

Michael Creed TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: michael.creed@oir.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: +353 (0)1-661 1013.
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd
Tweet to @creedcnw

Andrew Doyle TD
Minister of State, Dept of Agriculture
Email: andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie
Tweet to @ADoyleTD

Irish Government grants to the greyhound industry

2018: €16 million
2017: €16 million
2016: €14.8 million
2015: €13.6 million
2014: €10.4 million
2013: €11.0 million
2012: €11.3 million
2011: €11.5 million
2010: €11.8 million
2009: €13.6 million
2008: €15.2 million
2007: €14.5 million
2006: €14.0 million
2005: €13.6 million
2004: €13.3 million
2003: €12.8 million
2002: €13.6 million

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