Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jan 1994

Vol. 437 No. 6

Written Answers. - Greyhound Blooding.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

446 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to a BBC television programme screened on Wednesday 12th January 1994, concerning the use of rabbits to blood Irish greyhounds; the action, if any, he intends to take arising from the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

The Minister with responsibility for Food and Horticulture, Deputy Brian O'Shea, has announced the doubling of the fine for the offence of cruelty to animals from £500 to £1,000 which is the maximum permissible for summary conviction. The increased fine will be prescribed under the Protection of Animals Acts, 1911 and 1965, as amended by the Control of Dogs Act, 1986. It is a matter for the Garda Síochána to detect and prosecute cases of offences of cruelty to animals.

Section 37 of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, empowers Bord na gCon to make regulations for the control of the training of greyhounds for reward. It also provides that such regulations may,inter alia, make provision for prohibiting persons from training greyhounds for reward save under and in accordance with licences granted by the Bord at its discretion. My Department has been reviewing the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, with a view to up-dating its provisions. It is intended, when amending the Act, to strengthen further the powers of Bord na gCon in order to deal with offences such as the practice of “blooding”.