2026-07-09

13. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider decoupling funding for greyhound and horseracing industries; if he will commission a report on the economic viability of the greyhound racing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52289/26]

I thank Deputy Ní Raghallaigh for being in for agriculture questions today. It is great to see her here for this. A very important pillar of Government policy is to ensure the horse and greyhound racing industries achieve their maximum potential, and in so doing, contribute to economic and social development over a wide geographic distribution. The Deputy is well aware that our own constituency of Kildare South benefits greatly from employment levels and economic activity in this regard. Government funding, in addition to supporting these key industries, presents an excellent opportunity to yield a high return for its investment, leading to a flow of income right through the economy, thereby providing widespread benefits for our society. For the horse and greyhound fund, this is economic activity that generally tends to happen in rural areas where there are not the same other employment opportunities as there are in the larger cities and beyond. The horse and greyhound racing industries, via Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, and Rásaíocht Con Éireann, RCE, receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. In budget 2026, €99.1 million was allocated to the fund, of which €79.3 million will be allocated to HRI and €19.8 million to RCE. The allocation is subject to Oireachtas approval and is split 80:20 between HRI and RCE, respectively, as set out under section 12(6) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. I have no plans to introduce legislation to provide a separate Exchequer funding mechanism for HRI and RCE and the industries they support. An independent review of my Department's governance of the fund, which included consideration of the efficacy of the fund in ensuring the highest standards of greyhound and equine welfare, has now been completed and a copy of the final report has been sent to the public accounts committee. One of the report’s key recommendations is to increase over the medium term the share of the fund ringfenced for welfare purposes. My Department will work with the bodies to implement this and other recommendations contained in the report over the coming months. A copy of the report is available on my Department’s website, under review of governance of horse and greyhound racing fund Ireland. In July 2021, Jim Power Economics produced a report on the economic and financial significance of the Irish greyhound racing industry, which was also commissioned by RCE.

Public funding should be earned through transparency, and given the evidence on welfare, declining attendance and serious questions about the industry's economic case, that transparency is clearly lacking. The figures repeatedly cited by Government that greyhound racing contributes €132 million annually are at best unclear, and at worst, misleading. The figure includes hare coursing, which Government states is now said to account for €70 million. Presenting them together creates confusion and inflates the value of the greyhound industry itself. We need clarity. What does the greyhound racing industry bring in on its own, what does it actually contribute, what does it cost the State each year and how exactly are those figures being calculated? The lack of transparency is mirrored in welfare outcomes. Of the 12,766 greyhounds born between 2021 and 2024 that are no longer racing or trialling and remain on this island, 66% of those are dead and only 22% have been rehomed. For every dog homed, three are dead. There is also the hidden cost of the volunteers across this State that are rescuing and rehoming these dogs. How many thousands of unpaid hours is this, and where is that accounted for?

I thank the Deputy. As regards the economic and employment impact and benefit of the greyhound racing industry, this is outlined in the economic and financial significance of the Irish greyhound racing industry report. I concur on the importance of care and welfare. A strong commitment to improve animal welfare in the greyhound racing industry is set out in the programme for Government, which requires Rásaíocht Con Éireann to continue to provide financial support for the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, IRGT, and to contribute to rehoming greyhounds. Since 2020, my Department has ringfenced 10% of the fund allocation to RCE for welfare, including integrity. A key priority of the board of RCE is the continued expansion of the welfare and care initiatives, which include a range of measures. In its approved budget for 2026, RCE allocated €5.6 million to regulatory care and welfare expenditure. The RCE allocation to traceability, care and welfare matters for quarter 1 of 2026, was €1.1 million.

We have heard over and over about where the funding is going, the measures in place and the traceability system but I would like to focus on whether the level of public spending is justified by clear independent evidence. At present, I do not see that is, with over €20 million allocated each year on the basis of unclear figures and an economic case that does not stand up to proper scrutiny. The Minister mentioned the Jim Power report. That report is now outdated and methodologically flawed, which only reinforces the concern. The problem is compounded by the fact greyhound racing figures are embedded within the wider horse racing structure, making genuine scrutiny difficult. At a time when the public expects strong governance and real transparency, I do not feel this is good enough. It comes down to the very straightforward point that if the funding is justified, how can we prove it? Will the Aire commit to commissioning an independent report on the true cost and value of this industry?

The Deputy answered her own question in a way at the start by saying we have heard all these things about traceability and beyond. I can outline what is there, the fact we have undertaken a review of the fund and how it is done. That report is there for all to be seen. Rásaíocht Con Éireann operates a range of welfare initiatives to ensure the high standards of greyhound welfare are maintained within the industry. These initiatives include greyhound care centres, which provide high quality accommodation and training to help greyhounds to adapt to a range of different home environments and foster care centres, which provide care and welfare for retired greyhounds awaiting transportation to their forever homes in the United States or other locations. Foster care centres are also used where RCE forms the view that the care and welfare of greyhounds in a person's control is not of the required standard. We also have a traceability system, the RCETS, which is operational and provides traceability for all microchipped racing greyhounds from 1 January 2021, together with all active greyhounds in the racing management system. Data from the RCETS at the end of quarter 1 of 2026 indicated a total of 64,486 greyhounds were subject to traceability. This data is constantly being updated and captured.