Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
2121. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 2085 of 26 July 2022, if all groups in the United States of America have had their funding cut for the transport costs of homing greyhounds from an organisation (details supplied) in the United States. [42869/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra2128. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reconsider the public funding for Greyhound Racing Ireland given that it has stopped funding one of its key welfare programmes, namely the Irish greyhounds to America programme (details supplied). [43026/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2121 and 2128 together.
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.
My Department provides dedicated financial support under the Horse and Greyhound Fund (the Fund) to RCÉ, the statutory body responsible for the operation and regulation of the greyhound industry. Since 2021, it has ring fenced 10% of the RCÉ allocation from the Fund for welfare measures, including integrity.
RCÉ has informed my Department that it has rehomed 157 greyhounds this year under its 50% support arrangement. It is committed to continue supporting the rehoming of greyhounds to the U.S. and this programme will be considered again for 2023, as part of its overall suite of welfare programmes.
It is worth noting this context that the cost of transporting greyhounds to this part of the world has risen significantly (doubled since March 2020).
Further rehoming opportunities in the US are also being explored. Due to the high level of demand for greyhounds as pets in certain regions of the U.S., some U.S agencies have been able to fund 100% of the transport costs with RCÉ and the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust covering the balance of the expense incurred. Such an arrangement has resulted in a further 142 greyhounds being rehomed under the scheme, with further such rehomings planned in the coming weeks.
