Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. (RCÉ) is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. However, my Department takes the welfare of greyhounds extremely seriously and I am committed to maintaining and enhancing those standards.
The conditions attached to the allocation to RCÉ under the Horse & Greyhound Fund require that a minimum of 10% of the allocation be spent on welfare and integrity measures. RCÉ has a range of measures in place in the areas of regulation, integrity and care and welfare.
RCÉ established a Care Fund in July 2019. This Care Fund receives its income from 50% of sponsorships, 10% of admissions income, 10% of restaurant packages and 5% of net Tote profits. Income from the Care Fund is dedicated to the implementation of an ongoing care and welfare programme of activities focused on the care and welfare of the greyhound.
Measures progressed to date in the areas of welfare and integrity include:
- The opening of the first Care Centre in Thurles in July 2020 which will act as a half-way house between the end of a racing career and the placing of the greyhound in its ‘forever home’. The centre will allow greyhounds to be socialised and for interested parties to consider the fostering or adoption of a greyhound in such a setting.
- The implementation of an extensive rehoming programme with over 1,300 greyhounds rehomed in 2020 to date with assistance from the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, an entity established by RCÉ.
- The introduction of a financial incentive for all domestic rehomings to encourage further rehoming in Ireland.
- The implementation of a Foster-to-Adopt Scheme.
- The operation of an Injuries at Track Financial Support Scheme whereby funding is available to address injuries sustained to racing greyhounds to ensure that they can be retired from greyhound racing.
- The establishing of a confidential phone line/email through which any welfare issues can be reported on a 24/7 basis. All reports are fully investigated by RCÉ welfare staff.
- The full utilisation of the Exclusion Order process whereby a party can be excluded from being on a greyhound racing track.
- The updating of the Code of Practice for the Care and Welfare of the Greyhound which has been the subject of a public consultation process. The Code is provided for under Section 6 of the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011.
- The continuing of an intense testing regime both at race events and through out of competition testing. The urine sampling regime has been expanded in 2020 to also cover on a periodic basis blood sampling. Work is also underway in terms of the necessary protocols to implement further enhancements of the testing regime through hair sampling.
- RCÉ implemented a Covid-19 Care Payment Scheme during the period of suspension of racing activity from March to June 2020. Some €998,000 was paid under the scheme to ensure that the welfare needs of the racing greyhound were met during a period when racing activity was suspended
The introduction of a traceability system is viewed as essential as an integrity measure to provide for traceability in relation to key life events for the racing greyhound. RCÉ has confirmed that the costs of the traceability system are not being met from the Care Fund established by RCÉ.
