Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 22 Oct 2024

Vol. 1060 No. 3

Proposed approval by Dáil Éireann of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024: Motion

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:

Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024,

copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 3rd October, 2024.

The horse and greyhound sectors are embedded in the social and economic fabric of our country, and that of rural Ireland in particular. Successive governments have acknowledged the significance of both industries and have supported them through legislation, policy initiatives and the provision of funding. This support has helped to maintain Ireland's world-class reputation for excellence in horse racing, greyhound racing and breeding. Both sectors make a valuable contribution to a balanced regional economy. The most recent analysis conducted by Deloitte estimated that the thoroughbred racing industry has an annual economic impact of €2.46 billion, with direct and indirect employment of 30,000 people. The Power report estimated that the greyhound racing sector supports more than 4,000 full-time and part-time jobs, with a further 6,000 people deriving an economic benefit from the industry.

The Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has played a key role in providing investment to the sectors and has been instrumental in the shaping of the industries and the many livelihoods they support. The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund under section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001. Payments are made from the fund to Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, and Rásaíocht Con Éireann, RCÉ. Exchequer support provided from the fund is crucial to the continued development of the horse and greyhound racing industries. Since 2001, a total of €1.7 billion has been paid from the fund to the horse and greyhound racing industries in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The cumulative upper limit on payments from the fund, provided for under relevant regulations, has been reached. To give effect to the provisions of budget 2025, this cumulative upper limit must be increased by regulation. The Estimates from my Department, passed by both Houses as part of budget 2025, include an allocation of €99.1 million for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. This will be distributed in accordance with section 12(6) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, with 80% or €79.3 million going to HRI and 20%, equating to €19.8 million, to RCÉ. In order to allow my Department to provide the moneys allocated in budget 2025, it is necessary to comply with the technical requirement under section 12(13) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act to increase the cumulative limit of the amount payable from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund by €99.1 million to some €1.8 billion. This is achieved by way of the regulations submitted to the House today. The aggregate limit of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has been increased in this manner in 2004, as it was from 2009 to 2023, inclusive.

I will now focus a little bit on each industry, starting with the horse racing sector. Horse racing has a significant impact on Ireland's rural economy and creates a favourable international profile for our country. According to a 2023 Deloitte report on the social and economic impact of the Irish thoroughbred breeding and racing sector, it is estimated that the Irish thoroughbred industry has an economic annual impact of €2.46 billion. This represents a 34% increase in value from 2016. The sector also supports the direct and indirect jobs of some 30,000 people, the majority of whom live in rural communities. The sector has an incredible reputation as a location for breeding and racing, as evidenced by Ireland's position as the second largest producer of bloodstock in the world by value sold, after the USA. Ireland also has the world's third highest number of thoroughbred foals each year after the USA and Australia. The thoroughbred sector is part of our identity, and Government support has reflected that over many years. Naturally, underlying all the facts and figures are the countless individuals who work directly and indirectly and have shaped the current state of the Irish racing and breeding industry.

In 2023, Irish-trained horses racing in Britain won close to £17 million, which was higher than the 2022 figure. Likewise, Irish-trained horses won more than €10 million in prize money throughout the rest of the world. The figures relating to the bloodstock and breeding sector also show significant increases, which is a huge sign of confidence in the industry. There were rises of 7.6% in bloodstock sales at public auction in Ireland, and 13.8% in the worldwide value of Irish-foaled horses sold through auction, with the combined figure reaching in excess of €565 million. As proven in 2023, Irish owners, trainers, jockeys and horses continue to set and uphold a high standard and their exceptional achievements, endurance and influence underscore Ireland's international prominence. Even though other noteworthy racing nations have significant advantages, including those of scale, demography and economy, the Irish equine breeding and racing industry is extremely competitive globally. It is clearly an example of a sector punching well above its weight. We are able to continuously compete with and outperform our competitors because of the extraordinary passion and dedication to excellence shown by all those involved in the industry, including yard workers, jockeys and owners.

The welfare of both people and animals is a key priority for the sector. This is evidenced in HRI's current strategic plan. My Department will continue to support both HRI and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, IHRB, in this regard. An independent review of the IHRB's antidoping programme, carried out by the international equine antidoping expert, Dr. Craig Suann, concluded that the programme at least matches international practice in most respects. It also found that the IHRB has made significant advances in recent years. That said, we must leave no stone unturned in continuing to improve animal welfare and equine welfare.

I now turn to the greyhound racing sector.

Through the evaluation of the greyhound racing industry in the 2021 Power report, it was highlighted that the greyhound industry provides and supports considerable employment across the Irish economy. It is estimated that in 2019 the industry directly and indirectly supported more than 4,000 full-time and part-time jobs in the economy. Moreover, there are more than 6,000 active greyhound owners who perceive this lifestyle to be a fundamental aspect of their lives. The greyhound racing industry is an integral part of the social fabric of our country. 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.

The future of the industry is dependent on a strong governance platform and on the industry having the highest standards of integrity and welfare founded on a robust regulatory system. There is a strong commitment to improve animal welfare in this sector in the programme for Government, and the Government's support is contingent on a guarantee of welfare standards being upheld by RCÉ on an annual basis. This is reflected in the annual parameters set out by officials in my Department and in the regular engagements with RCÉ. RCÉ continues to operate an ever-expanding greyhound care fund, using income from the horse and greyhound fund towards the implementation of the highest possible welfare standards at kennels and racing facilities.

Provisions in the Greyhound Racing Act 2019 support RCÉ to strengthen greyhound welfare. This legislation strengthens the legal basis for the industry with a view to fortifying the integrity of the greyhound racing sector and improving provision for greyhound traceability. Through this Act, governance in RCÉ has improved. There are enhancements to industry regulatory oversight, updates to sanctions and enhanced integrity standards and it facilitates the board to focus on its priority objective of achieving the highest standards of care and welfare for greyhounds. Further commencement orders for the small number of remaining sections will continue to be phased in as expediently as possible and, as implementation continues, RCÉ will be able to ensure the important heritage associated with greyhound racing in Ireland can continue under the appropriate rules and regulations.

A key element of the new legislation is the provision, for the first time, of a full IT traceability system for racing greyhounds. The RCÉ traceability system, RCÉTS, came into operation on 11 January 2021. The system provides a mechanism to ensure racing greyhounds are properly registered and traceable throughout their lives to the point of rehoming and retirement. These life stages include birth registration, racing, all changes of ownership and location and end of life. Data from the system at the end of August 2024 indicated that 50,148 greyhounds were subject to traceability. Ongoing work is being carried out on the system. RCÉTS phase 2 is currently in development and will include additional functionality to facilitate the recording of injuries at RCÉ licensed stadiums during racing and official and unofficial trials; the capture of details relating to euthanasia of a greyhound by a veterinary surgeon; the capture of medical records and health checks carried out by veterinary surgeons; the recording of sampling history and adverse analytical findings; and details of offences under the Greyhound Racing Act 2019.

The continued expansion of the system has coincided with the development and further improvement of a range of other welfare and care programmes that reflect RCÉ's commitment to ensuring greyhound welfare receives the highest level of protection. In addition to its care and welfare programme, RCÉ is involved in areas which include regulatory integrity and laboratory functions. This includes activity on welfare inspections and investigations, testing regimes, veterinary services, financial support for the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust and contributions to private rehoming agencies. RCÉ is fully committed to the development, management and promotion of a successful commercial greyhound racing industry that is built on a consumer-focused, high-quality entertainment product that meets the highest possible international regulatory and welfare standards and will continue to be governed by my Department.

These two industries are fundamental to balanced economic regional development and growth and provide widespread benefits to many rural communities. A key priority for the Government is the social and economic needs of rural communities and in this context, these industries continue to contribute to rural economic activity and employment and should be recognised for their work in these areas. The welfare of horses and greyhounds is a cornerstone of both industries and I have been assured that HRI and RCÉ are striving to ensure the highest standards for the sports and their participants on and away from the racetrack. This includes the provision of financial and other supports to many organisations to ensure the health and welfare of horses and greyhounds. The horse and greyhound racing fund has played a key role in providing this investment and is instrumental in shaping these industries and the many livelihoods they support. A rapidly changing international environment continues to pose challenges to the Irish economy. Social, demographic and technological challenges face both industries and it can be somewhat difficult to fully predict what the future holds. It is therefore crucial that we support these important industries to continue to navigate through these challenges in 2024 and onwards into 2025.

Deputy Martin Browne

We welcome the Labour Party amendment and will not oppose it, as it is similar to the one brought by Deputies Kerrane and Mythen last year. The same review was sought by Sinn Féin last year and the Minister committed to carrying one out. He also committed to it several times at committee meetings, but no results have been forthcoming.

There is little room for doubt about the fact that horse and greyhound racing is of benefit to many rural communities. As a proud Tipperary man, I have no doubt about its benefits to County Tipperary. Having said that, we have a responsibility to ensure that this significant sum of money, which increases each year, is allocated properly by HRI and RCÉ.

I will speak about the review of where the funding goes within the sector, how we can be sure smaller operators in the sector are not crowded out of funding by prize funds, and animal welfare.

The Minister told the agriculture committee that a consultancy report on the IHRB aspect of the funding is awaited from Mazars, which is to inform a wider review. That review still has not started. Does the Minister of State not think the public genuinely deserves a level of oversight of the industry that provides an immediately recognisable level of transparency? Does he have a timeline for when the Mazars report is due? Does he have a timeline in mind for the initiation of the review upon receipt of that report?

That brings me to where the funding goes because there are continual questions about whether prize money, which often goes to big business owners, is being disproportionately drawn away from smaller operators. We need clarity and transparency in this. That is a further crucial aspect of any review.

Before I turn to animal welfare, I recognise those in the horse and greyhound racing sectors who are committed to the welfare of their animals. The vile actions of a few must not tarnish the efforts of the many, yet we must face up to the need to commit more substantially to welfare and to take a no tolerance approach to the horrendous incidents of abuse that arise. We have to give as much time and effort to prevention as we do to cure. The recent reports we have seen about the mistreatment of horses reinforce that.

The Minister recently told the agriculture committee that RCÉ told him it is exceeding the 10% limit on welfare. It appears that is enough for the Minister not to increase the allocation. Is that how this is decided? If it is, we need that review more than ever as it seems like a rule of thumb approach, which is similar to the infamous 20:80 split that has never been fully explained.

I was contacted by PAWS Animal Rescue in Mullinahone, County Tipperary. It is intent on carrying out remedial works but no funding has been given to it for this. The animal welfare grant programme is not for capital or infrastructural purposes, so if its application to that programme is approved - I implore the Minister of State to ensure it is approved - the grant will be used to pay off its vet bill of €50,000, which is likely to increase to almost €60,000 by the time the grant issues. While this would give it some leeway in directing whatever meagre resources it has towards the structural improvements, the fact remains that no funding is given to these organisations for structural work. Funding needs to be made available for improvements of this nature. Let me remind the House that these organisations often shoulder the burden the RCÉ might not. Will the Department bear this in mind when considering not only the fund we are speaking about today, but in recognising and adequately supporting independent animal welfare organisations that rely on fundraising? In addition, I appeal to the Department to work positively with PAWS and live up to the remarks the Minister frequently asserts in this Chamber and at the agriculture committee about the importance of animal welfare. If we are ever to significantly address animal welfare generally - I do not confine this to the horse and greyhound industry - the Department needs to be realistic, stop sticking its head in the sand and address the need that is there, rather than keeping these vital services unsure of the avoidable obstacles they may face year to year.

Deputy Johnny Mythen

I thank the Minister of State for his statement and acknowledge the importance of the horse and greyhound industries and their annual impact on the economy. The thoroughbred sector generates approximately €2.6 billion, directly and indirectly supporting more than 30,000 jobs, and the greyhound racing industry supports more than 4,000 jobs, almost all of which are in rural Ireland.

One issue I will raise with the Minister of State is animal welfare. There are always a few who treat their animals badly and cruelly and they must be ousted, regulated and banned from the sport. My hometown of Enniscorthy boasts one of the oldest greyhound tracks in the State.

It opened in 1933. I am well aware the majority of owners take great care of their animals and go to extraordinary lengths to look after their welfare in that neck of the woods. I am aware of how important the industry is to the county, from tourism to local charities that rely on race nights for much-needed funding, and the greyhound fraternity as a whole. This year, extra funding is being introduced. Will the existing 10% allocated to the animal welfare sector be increased on a pro rata basis? We would like to see this happening immediately.

Another important issue is the governance of both industries. Considering this is such a large amount of public funding, will the Minister of State point out the checks and balances in place and explain how the money is allocated at present and how this is scrutinised? For example, what are the criteria used to distribute the prize money? How come the lion's share seems to go to the wealthiest horse owners and trainers, with very little going down the chain? It is vital we have oversight when dealing with public money. We understand a review was called for and committed to last year and that an outside agency was to be appointed to carry out that review. What has happened since? We would like to see this review published in full, with robust governance and copper-fastened articles of association attached. Will the Minister of State give the date on which the review will be ready? What exact stage is it at?

We support the Labour Party amendment calling for the highest standard of animal welfare to be implemented and for a review of how best to support these sectors, particularly in rural communities.

Deputy Alan Kelly

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes that:

- while it is acknowledged that the horse and greyhound racing sectors do not qualify for sports capital funding, they are unique in Irish sport in that they are supported by the State through their own ring-fenced statutory fund;

- that payments into the Fund have increased from €68 million in 2015, up to the €99.1 million proposed for 2025, a 46 per cent increase over the decade, with the proposed payment for 2025 an increase of a further €4 million over 2024;

- there is a question as to the continuing appropriateness of the indexation formula that is intended to provide a floor for Exchequer payments into the Fund, linked to receipts from excise duty on off-course betting;

- while up to 2009 the statutory indexation formula was followed, the Minister for Finance has confirmed that the formula was abandoned in 2009, without any enabling change in the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and that the approach since then has been for a unilateral decision by Government on the amount to be provided to the Fund in each year;

- a significant amount of the Fund is used for prizes, which seems to benefit those who are most successful, and no independent economic or social impact analysis has been carried out to determine the best use of this resource;

- although in the intervening years there have been reports of serious animal welfare concerns in both sectors, there is a lack of clear statutory conditionality that would make any State financial support conditional on rigorous animal welfare criteria being satisfied, nor are any conditions related to workers' rights in the sector attached to the funding;

believes therefore that the funding model under section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001 is in urgent need of review and replacement, and calls on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to carry out such a full and independent review of the Fund, including in particular with recommendations on:

- how best to support these sectors, those involved in it, and rural communities;

- measures needed to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare are implemented and complied with;

- how the rights of workers in the sector can be improved and an employment regulation order introduced to set minimum rates of pay and conditions; and

- whether and how funding for these sectors and other sports should be aligned;

to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas within six months, with a view to amending legislation being in place well before the anticipated date of any further presentation of draft regulations under this section for the approval of the Houses, and

approves the following Regulations in draft:

Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2024,

copies of which were laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on the 3rd October, 2024.".

It is the same amendment as last year and I hope it will be supported. We have always supported this fund, as the Minister of State knows. I do so because I know how important, traditionally, these industries are but we need to re-examine the structure of it and the idea we let it roll over every year. I do not even know why there is an individual vote on this every year. That aside, we need to look at how it is functioning. It is left in limbo every year. Time has moved on and the way this was set up has become disintermediated. There is a need to relook at it. I believe in funding the industries but we need to look at the broader issue. Could we look at the formulas? Could we look at a broader fund incorporating all other areas of sport? Do we need to look at amending legislation to help this, segregate it and measure it?

I was born in Tipperary a few fields away from Tiger Roll, one of the most successful horses ever - certainly one of the smallest horses to ever win so much. My old employers in Fáilte Ireland have a thoroughbred marketing strategy which relates only to the Minister of State's county and mine because it is so important to our economies, employing up to 40,000 people. It is critical we support the industries but also that we look at ways in which this can be moved on, modernised and targeted at smaller breeders and smaller players in the industry, particularly in the horse racing industry.

We need to look at how we can incorporate this along with everything else that is going on in sports funding. We had Sport Ireland in front of us at the Committee of Public Accounts. I often think people do not really understand what that body does. It is not a regulator. Do we need to look at this in the broader sense of how we fund sports? We have sports capital, direct sports funding from the Department and funding from Sport Ireland, other State organisations, local authorities, regional authorities and a range of other sources. How can we look at this all together so it is appropriated fairly and effectively, ensuring we support sport and active participation while supporting these industries which are critical to rural life and employ so many people?

I have said numerous times welfare is paramount. We need more people from a welfare background on the board. I said the same thing this time last year.

An issue I am passionate about is this. There are many fantastic people involved in both industries but I have a concern the passion young people, in particular, show for the horse racing and breeding industry can be overlooked and they can be taken for granted. They are passionate about it and love it so much, but are they being paid fairly? It is an issue I have a concern about. I urge that a process be put in place to ensure young people working in the industry are protected by the working time Act - because they do serious hours - and are paid a fair wage for the work they do.

I believe a registered employment agreement across the sector would be very beneficial, as it would be in many sectors. We have thousands of people working in this industry. We could grade and identify their work, create a certain pay standard for it and adhere to the working time Act. From the perspective of those who support horse racing, that would be a very good thing and something we should really look at into the future.

Deputy Holly Cairns

Greyhound racing has been in decline for decades but the Government has handed the greyhound industry €94 million over its term in office. It has increased funding this year by €4.1 million. This year, like every other year, I have to ask why. Why is the Government so insistent on propping up this industry? Why is it so insistent that greyhound racing is an integral part of our culture when race tracks are virtually empty around the country?

Ireland is one of only seven countries in the world where commercial greyhound racing is still legal in 2024. In one of those countries, the US, it only remains legal in five states. Is it any wonder it has been banned everywhere else?

After RTÉ revealed in 2019 that as many as 6,000 dogs per year were being culled for not being fast enough, the greyhound board introduced a deeply flawed traceability system in 2021. Non-coursing greyhounds are only registered on the system at 12 weeks and only if born in the Republic; no dogs born in the North are included. There is no way of knowing the extent of the overbreeding problem if we do not know how many dogs are born in a given year. Thousands of dogs have been bred and then destroyed because they did not make the cut. Destinations of exported dogs, other than the UK, are not recorded on the system despite the fact we know Irish greyhounds are still sold to China and Pakistan, both countries with horrendous animal rights records. According to that 2021 data, of the 7,135 greyhounds registered as still being in Ireland, 27%, or 1,951 dogs, are dead. More than 60% of those dogs do not have a listed reason for death.

The Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine's report on dog welfare noted there is virtually no oversight or transparency concerning canine artificial insemination, a process so dangerous for dogs it is banned in the UK. Somehow it is still legal here, all to facilitate the rampant overbreeding of greyhounds which is a hallmark of the industry.

Why will the Government not acknowledge what the overwhelming majority of the country clearly knows, which is that 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. The public is not behind it and tracks are emptying, yet the Government continues to keep the industry on life support, throwing millions in taxpayer's money at it every year. The continued support of political parties in government and opposition for State funding of this cruel industry shocks me every year.

The Green Party stance remains a particular disappointment, having had a long-standing position of opposing the practice. The Labour Party has tabled an amendment calling for a revising of the funding model, clearly not opposing the principle of propping up the industry with the public purse. Last year Sinn Féin voted in favour of the funding and I hope this will not be repeated tomorrow evening. 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.

One of the things that has stood out to me since becoming elected is the power of an organised lobby group. The greyhound racing industry's lobby epitomises this. An industry in decline gets this level of funding while other worthwhile causes, such as disability services, eating disorders and domestic violence services, are underfunded year after year. They do not have the same organised lobbies, and public funding to the greyhound racing industry is constantly met.

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 Minister of State, the Government, the Labour Party, Sinn Féin and some Independent TDs do not want this because they all know the support is not there. They know the industry would simply collapse without the annual handout of taxpayers' money. When will they face reality and end the State subsidy for this cruelty?

An Ceann Comhairle

We now go to People Before Profit-Solidarity and Deputy Paul Murphy is sharing with Deputy Mick Barry.

Deputy Paul Murphy

I will have three and a half minutes and Deputy Barry will have one and a half minutes.

An Ceann Comhairle

That is not very equal, is it?

Deputy Mick Barry

The Ceann Comhairle keeps making the same joke.

Deputy Paul Murphy

Get new material for the next Dáil.

Deputy Martin Heydon

Some are more equal than others.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

You would never manage in the racing industry.

An Ceann Comhairle

You are great advocates of equality.

Deputy Mick Barry

You need new material.

Deputy Paul Murphy

Write some new stuff.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

You would never manage at a race meeting.

Deputy Paul Murphy

This is the 11th time since I have been elected to the Dáil that I have been asked to agree to give tens of millions of euros, now almost €100 million, to the horse and greyhound racing industry. I added it up and, over the time I have been in the Dáil, the Dáil has voted time after time, all in all, to give almost €1 billion to the horse and greyhound racing industry. This year, as in every other year, the funding is being increased by €6 million. Coincidentally, €6 million is the same amount as the total amount of money received by animal welfare organisations this year. That €6 million is spread across 100 animal welfare organisations. Right there in the figures we see how much Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, and the others who will go along with it, value animal welfare compared with how they value the animal cruelty industry that is greyhound racing in particular.

Collectively, horse and greyhound racing are getting €99.1 million, with €79 million for the horseracing industry. Almost all of this money ends up tax-free in the pockets of the richest people in this country. There is also €20 million for the greyhound industry, keeping this industry of cruelty on life support. The tracking system for greyhounds introduced in 2021 reveals that almost 3,000 racing greyhounds born in 2021, one quarter of all the puppies born that year, are already dead. The natural life expectancy of a greyhound is ten to 15 years but one quarter of Irish racing greyhounds are dead before they reach their third or fourth birthday.

What is happening to these dogs? Last year, the industry itself reported that 133 dogs died on the tracks. This is an average of 11 dogs killed every month. Dogs are routinely doped up with dangerous drugs to make them run faster. Young dogs often drop dead of heart attacks. Every racetrack has a freezer for the carcases of all the dead dogs. This includes the nine State-owned greyhound racetracks. We have State-owned greyhound racetracks. Think about this for a minute. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have eagerly privatised vital public services such as childcare and nursing homes but they are dead set on hanging on to publicly owned greyhound racing tracks and publicly owned freezers stuffed full of dead dogs. It is so grotesque it is almost unbelievable.

It is not only the animals that suffer from this State-sponsored cruelty. People unfortunate enough to become addicted to gambling are being exploited. They and their families are victims of this State-owned and State-funded industry. In August the ISPCA called for the closure of the greyhound racing industry on animal welfare grounds. Dogs Trust made a similar call last year. They all want a ban on greyhound racing, as a majority of the public supports. The industry is closely linked with the barbaric practice of hare coursing. Not alone will the Minister of State not ban it, he is increasing the funding to it. Without this public money, the industry simply would not survive. In future people will look back at these practices in the same light as banned barbaric practices such as badger baiting and dogfighting. This must be an issue in the general election.

Deputy Mick Barry

What exactly are the priorities of the Government? What is important to it and what is not? There are people out on the streets forced to go rattling tins to raise money for domestic violence centres and the Government decides to give almost €20 million to the greyhound industry. Does the Minister of State not know this is a cruel industry? Deputy Murphy said one quarter, and my statistics state more than one third, of the racing greyhounds born in 2021 and still remaining on the island of Ireland are now either dead or unaccounted for.

Perhaps Deputy Mattie McGrath might have a listen rather than talking over me in the same way he tried to speak over Deputy Cairns when she was speaking.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

We do not listen to rubbish.

Deputy Mick Barry

This industry would not survive if it was not for State money propping it up. The stadiums are 90% empty. This is in the wake of all of the animal cruelty scandals. I will leave aside, for reasons of time, the Government's plans to give €80 million to the horseracing industry with the Shannonside Foods abattoir scandal still fresh in the memory. It is outrageous that the Government is granting the greyhound industry €20 million, an increased handout over what it gave it last year. Stop animal cruelty. Stop this funding now.

Deputy Michael Lowry

A negative focus was brought to bear on the horseracing industry earlier this year. Revelations from the abattoir in County Kildare shocked and sickened people in every corner of the country. They portrayed an image of horrendous practices that tainted the sport of horseracing. People were justifiably sickened and disgusted. Ireland is recognised globally as a nation of animal lovers. To see issues of barbaric animal cruelty come to light brought forth a cry of national outrage. This is not a reflection of who Irish people are. This is not what Irish people will tolerate.

The issues highlighted in the stomach-churning programme needed to be exposed. Not one person I have met or spoken to will contradict this. Screening it created awareness. It also awakened a vigilance that will ensure such practices will not be tolerated in future. Holding these people responsible and ensuring they face the appropriate penalties is not only expected but demanded by animal welfare groups and the general public. While anything less will not be acceptable, to penalise the sports of horse and greyhound racing based on this exposé makes little sense. To argue against increased funding support for horse and greyhound racing is to dispel the role they play in Irish culture. It risks undermining the returns these sports bring to the economy consistently year after year.

Support from the State to the horse and greyhound industries is a significant and important financial outlay in the budget. The money allocated to both industries is an investment. The increased allocation to €99.1 million for the year ahead is being welcomed in both organisations, particularly by Greyhound Racing Ireland. A constructive marketing and promotion campaign has seen attendance figures improving at many tracks during the year. Their revenue intake is steadily increasing and Government funding, such as that provided to the track in Kilkenny, will enable the tracks to implement their development projects and achieve the goals they remain committed to.

The budget allocation has also fuelled the determination to make provision for retired greyhounds. The average age for a greyhound to retire is three years to five years. These retired dogs, due to their gentle nature, make excellent pets. They are well socialised through their close contact with people and are low maintenance in terms of grooming.

At such a young age, they have many years of companionship to offer to dog lovers. The provision of additional funding is necessary to provide a dedicated sanctuary and rescue centre for retired greyhounds.

Focusing on a rehoming strategy and a funding model should be a shared responsibility between the greyhound industry and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Private tracks such as Thurles and Clonmel are every bit as important to owners and breeders as the main tracks. Like businesses in every sector, they are grappling with increased costs and overheads. GRI should increase the operational grants provided to private tracks.

The horse racing industry remains strong and thriving across County Tipperary and the country. It continues to build on the stellar reputation that Ireland holds across the world. Few people not directly involved in horse racing realise the benefits this sport delivers to our overall economy. The horse racing industry across Ireland generates an average of €1.8 billion in gross expenditure annually. This fund supports more than 10,000 Irish jobs. Thousands more jobs allied to horse racing depend on and benefit from the services provided. Top-level equine vets, farriers, horse transport drivers, stable hands and grooms are among those employed by the industry. Additionally, hundreds of people are employed at race meetings, where they provide track maintenance, catering, betting facilities and carry out a myriad of other tasks that must be performed to ensure everything, quite literally, runs smoothly.

Ireland's racing industry is one of our biggest and most consistent tourist attractions. Race lovers flock to Ireland to attend race meetings, resulting in a massive boost in revenue for the transport, hospitality and retail industries. Ireland also has an impressive and much-envied global horse breeding reputation, which results in the demand to have horses bred here continuing to grow year after year. All combined, Ireland's equine industry provides a yearly revenue input exceeding €900 million to the Irish economy. The annual level of investment in horse racing from the Government pales in comparison with the money it returns year on year. Without this investment, our capacity to capitalise on what Ireland has to offer would be seriously diminished. In a nutshell, any decision to reduce financial support for horse and greyhound racing would be unwise and counterproductive to our economy. I welcome the allocation in this year's budget.

Deputy Mattie McGrath

Ar an gcéad dul síos, I declare an interest because I was reared on a family farm with cattle, dogs and sheepdogs. The Ceann Comhairle knows this. I still have sheepdogs. My son is farming the mountain sheep. It would be impossible without sheepdogs. I would like to put a question to Deputy Bríd Smith. Although she is not here now, I am sure it will be carried back to her. She comes to this House most days with a dog in the van in hail, rain, snow or hot weather. I would love to bring my dogs to Dublin but I could not mind them here. I wonder where the animal cruelty is in that.

The thoroughbred industry alone has an annual economic impact of approximately €1.9 billion and supports around 29,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Government support through the horse and greyhound fund is essential in sustaining these industries. The 2025 fund has been increased and we welcome it.

I also appeal for more funding for animal shelters. The PAWS Animal Rescue charity in Mullinahone in County Tipperary badly needs funding. From the bottom of my heart, I abhor any cruelty of any kind to dogs or animals of any sort. Some 99.9% of farmers look after their animals as well as they do themselves. There are some rogues. The horrible practices we have seen, sometimes with calves and many times with dogs, should be stamped out. These should not be allowed. No one will talk about the cruelty of sulky racing on hard surfaces, which does untold damage to the feet and knees of the little ponies doing the pulling. These are small, young ponies. They are being killed on the roads and left there. That has happened, but we cannot talk about this taboo topic here. None of the left parties will touch this issue or mention it. I refer to the number of hares being killed by six and seven dogs, including lurchers and terriers, with no muzzles tearing them apart. There is no talk of the cruelty here. It is totally ignored. We cannot mention it because it is an ethnic minority who do it. We cannot even mention it. It is total hypocrisy and scandalous carry-on that there is a blindness to seeing what is going on.

I wish Deputy Cairns well in her upcoming event. I wish everybody well. However, she brought a lurcher up here to the Dáil one time and did not even know what a greyhound was. She had a lurcher outside protesting one time. I pointed it out to her at the time. She did not know the difference. Please come and see how farmers support their animals and the greyhound industry. We are so lucky in County Tipperary to have such prowess in the racing industry. We have Brian Acheson, Coolmore, Aidan O'Brien and many more small people. They give great enjoyment but above all they provide jobs and support our economy.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak in favour of this important proposal. Overall, the horse and greyhound industries are integral to the economic and social fabric of rural Ireland. With continued support and strategic improvements they can continue to provide significant benefits to the economy and social benefits to communities across the country. Indeed, going back more than 40 years, I remember one man who farmed sheep under Mangerton mountain. His one big event every year was to get my father's hackney car to take him to the Killarney races. Dan McCann is long gone now, but that was his main outlet in those times.

The Killarney races have been a big event since then and they draw big crowds to the town at different times of the year. The races are very important in that regard. People come, stay in hotels, travel around and see the county. We appreciate it. It is likewise with Listowel. Then there are the doggy men. I am talking about all the people in Brosna, where I was last night, Knocknagoshel, Castleisland, Tralee, Ballyduff and all of north Kerry, including Lixnaw and all those places. Hurling or football would be number one in many of those areas, but the dogs are close behind. People go out early in the morning to work but they come home in the evening and hardly have eaten their dinner when they are out training the dogs, walking them, seeing after them and bedding them down. This is their great social outlet. We must appreciate it because it is part of their and our culture. What we are always representing here is valuing our culture. This has been going on for decades and decades. 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. 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.

Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne

Our culture needs to change. This sector is receiving large amounts of money, in the millions of euro, without rigorous animal welfare criteria being satisfied or any conditions relating to workers' rights in the sector being attached to the funding. Is it an oversight issue, considering there have been numerous reports of serious animal welfare concerns? This has been notable in the last 12 months. This is a question the public will be putting to the Government as we move into election season. Providing this funding without any of these criteria being met must stop. The horse and greyhound fund will now receive €99.1 million in taxpayers' money, which is up by €4.1 million. This is an increase of 4.3% and is up from €95 million last year. How is this increase justifiable, especially considering that a significant amount of the funding is actually used for prizes? You could not make this up. I attended the Simon Community online event that spoke to the recent budget announcement and its context. We heard how we have not managed to increase our core social welfare payments, for example, to the same spending power they had in 2018. The population has increased by 133% since then, while inflation has increased by 109%. An interesting point to note is that the funding has been increased by €31.1 million in nine years, which is astonishing.

There are several alternative uses for the money. A total of €303 million has been allocated to homelessness services. This horse and greyhound funding represents one third of the money allocated to emergency accommodation, step-down accommodation and all other homeless services nationwide. In County Clare, for example, these services are receiving only an additional €300,000 and this only enables the services to stand still in respect of emergency accommodation.

I have a number of constituents who cannot access emergency accommodation so how can we increase capacity?

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)

I thank the Deputies for their contributions on this important topic. I will start by answering some of the points raised. Deputy Kelly queried the mechanism around this debate and, to put on the record, in summary and further to my earlier statement it is to allow the Department to provide the monies allocated in budget 2025 it is necessary to comply with the technical requirement under section 12(13).

Deputy Alan Kelly

Update it.

Deputy Martin Heydon

That is why we are here and doing this. I want to return to the broader point raised by Deputy Kelly, which a number of his colleagues in the Labour Party raised previously, that maybe we should take some of that money off and that there are other sports-----

Deputy Alan Kelly

I did not say that.

Deputy Martin Heydon

That is a point I picked up. I know some of Deputy Kelly's colleagues in the Labour Party previously have said the money should be taken from this fund for other sports. It misses a broader point. The Government does not treat horse or greyhound racing as a sport. I am not a Minister with the Department of sport; I am a Minister with the Department of agriculture. For very good reason, the horse racing or greyhound racing industries come under the Department of agriculture because they are just that. They are industries that employ thousands of people the length and breadth of the country in areas of rural Ireland where there is not the same amount of other economic activity and job opportunities.

We are, as a Government, actively increasing our support for sport. We saw the huge success of the Irish team this year at the Olympics. We saw the massive investment in the latest round of sports capital grant funding and the great investment there will be in large-scale sports infrastructure funding. Next Sunday alone, our county grounds in "Newbridge or nowhere" will finally officially open. It has been a recipient of direct support from the Government under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. There has been no shortage of support from the Government for sport but this is different. This is jobs, economic activity and, as has been said by a number of contributors, part of our core culture, particularly in rural Ireland but across the whole country. The Government's commitment to these sectors is reflected in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, which seeks to ensure the horse and greyhound racing industries achieve their maximum potential and in doing so contribute to the economic and social development of the country. Successive governments have steadfastly supported these industries and the jobs they provide, through legislative measures and policy initiatives for a considerable length of time. The horse and greyhound racing industries have a wide geographic spread and contribute to a balanced regional economy across rural Ireland in particular.

The welfare of horses and greyhounds is of the utmost importance to both industries and I am assured HRI and RCE are striving to ensure the highest standards, with both industries making substantial investment in integrity and welfare initiatives.

The Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has played a key role and providing this investment and has been influential in influencing the future of these sectors. The Irish economy continues to face many challenges and coupled with the fact we are a small and open economy, naturally prone to volatility, it can be somewhat difficult to fully predict what the future holds. It is therefore crucial we support these important industries and their continued navigation through these challenges as we enter into 2025.

The Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has been pivotal in shaping the development of both the thoroughbred and greyhound racing industries and I believe the €99.1 million allocation is vital to help secure jobs and sustain communities, particularly in rural Ireland. The Irish equine and breeding industry is extremely competitive at a global level and is a true example of superiority in the field. The future of the greyhound industry is dependent on a strong governance platform and on the industry having the highest standards of integrity and welfare founded on a strong regulatory system. The investment directed towards the greyhound sector is vital for upholding a time-honoured tradition and fostering economic development across the country. The particular importance of the funding for this industry to rural Ireland is well recognised.

As I stated in my opening address, section 12(13) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 provides that a draft of these regulations be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and a resolution approving the draft be passed by each House. Again, I ask for support in ensuring Horse Racing Ireland and Rásaíocht Con Éireann receive the funding provided for in budget 2025. I commend this regulation to the House for approval.

Amendment put.

An Ceann Comhairle

In accordance with Standing Order 80(2) the vote is deferred until the voting block tomorrow evening. I thank everyone for their cooperation.