Bord na gCon

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 March 2017

Tuesday, 28 March 2017

Ceisteanna (499, 500)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

499. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the legal fees for Irish Greyhound Board were €1.2 million in 2016. [15359/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

500. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the legal fees for the Irish Greyhound Board for 2016; and if this figure can be obtained from the management accounts. [15361/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together.

Bord na gCon, a commercial State body was established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry.

According to the 2015 Bord na gCon accounts, legal and professional fees amounted to €1.4m. Bord na gCon state in their published accounts that they were party to a settlement in November 2015, of three related High Court cases that had been ongoing since September 2010. Details of the legal costs in 2016 will be available following the C&AGs audit of the 2016 accounts.