Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 November 2017
167. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of veterinary inspections at clubs (details supplied) in 2015, 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47710/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon (BnG).
A Monitoring Committee on Coursing is in place, comprising of officials from my Department, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the ICC to monitor developments in coursing and in that regard the situation is kept under constant review to ensure that coursing is run in a well controlled and responsible manner in the interests of both hares and greyhounds.
Although veterinary inspectors from my Department conduct inspections at 10% of coursing clubs each season, I understand that no veterinary inspections were carried out by my officials at the coursing clubs named during that time frame.
