Minister to defend greyhound industry against hard-hitting independent economic report

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon will defend the greyhound racing industry before an Oireachtas committee on Wednesday in the face of a hard-hitting report from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO). The PB0 report was published late last week and found that the greyhound racing sector has remained heavily reliant on State funding to sustain it. Half the income in 2024 of the commercial semi-State body that runs the sector, Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ), came from State funding, amounting to €20 million. The report also found that attendance at meetings has fallen sharply over the past decade. READ MORE“The average attendance per race meeting fell from 388 to 235. This sustained decline raises questions regarding the policy rationale for continued State support for the industry,” it stated. The PBO also highlighted issues with traceability and animal welfare, in particular that a high percentage of retired greyhounds have been exported abroad (and can no longer be traced) as well as the high mortality rate between three and five years of age, although greyhounds have a life expectancy of between 10 and 14 years. “The mortality rate was particularly high (among greyhounds born) in 2022. Of the 4,037 greyhounds born in 2022 that remained in Ireland and were no longer active in racing, 2,842 had died by 1 January 2026, representing a mortality rate of 70 per cent for the inactive non-exported group,” it stated. “The evidence base for continued funding is limited. Economic-impact claims continue to rely mainly on a 2021 report (prepared by economist Jim Power), and detailed attendance data by venue and attendance type is not readily available. “The evidence that is available raises questions about whether continued Government support is justified. Taken together, the available information shows a sector with continued and increasing public funding, falling operating surpluses, declining attendances and persistent welfare concerns,” it concluded. A spokesman for the Minister responded to the issues raised in the report by emphasising that the funding underpins “economic activity in what are, in many instances, highly rural areas. The greyhound industry continues to support considerable direct and indirect employment across the country.”He also said that continued support through the fund is linked to the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Indecon Review, in respect of both equine and greyhound welfare and integrity.Several parliamentarians, including Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger and Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman, have called for greyhound racing to be banned, highlighting animal welfare concerns. Coppinger said the PBO assessment was a damning report that showed an industry that was dying, only kept on life support by State intervention. “It is morally and financially unjustifiable for the State to continue to do this,” she said. Coppinger noted a “large mortality rate” among greyhounds and the sector’s links to gambling. O’Gorman said the report gave further evidence that the Greyhound industry in Ireland was built around the premature death of thousands of dogs. “Greyhounds should live 10 to 15 years, but over 10,000 have died before their sixth birthday ... How long is the Government going to continue to uncritically fund this carnage?” he said. Fianna Fáil spokesman on agriculture and rural affairs Peter Chap Cleere said that while public funding must always be subject to scrutiny and the highest standards of animal welfare must be maintained, he had serious concerns about findings that undermined the future of an industry that is deeply rooted in communities countrywide.“Let me be absolutely clear – I am a strong supporter of the greyhound industry and of the thousands of people whose livelihoods are connected to it,” he said. “Significantly, the PBO acknowledges that withdrawing State support could potentially lead to poorer animal welfare outcomes. That is an important consideration and one that must not be overlooked when discussing the future of public investment.“On animal welfare, my position is unequivocal. The welfare of every greyhound must come first,” he said.