Murphy welcomes Welsh government ban on greyhound racing

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy has welcomed the Welsh government ban on greyhound racing and called for our Government to follow suit.

“I welcome the news yesterday that the Welsh Government is to ban greyhound racing,” Deputy Murphy said.

“This decision follows an extensive public consultation process by the Welsh Government that found overwhelming public support for a ban on this animal cruelty industry.

“This should finally make the Irish Government introduce a ban here, a ban that People Before Profit have been campaigning for for many years”.

“The natural life expectancy of a greyhound is 10 to 15 years, but one quarter of Irish racing greyhounds are dead before the age of three or four.

“Last year, the industry itself reported that 133 dogs died on the tracks.

“This is an average of 11 dogs killed every month.

“Dogs are routinely doped up with dangerous drugs to make them run faster.

“Young dogs often drop dead of heart attacks.

“Every racetrack has a freezer for the carcases of all the dead dogs.

“This includes the nine State-owned greyhound racetracks.”

Deputy Murphy said he also believes that in the future people will look back at greyhound racing in the same light as banned barbaric practices such as badger baiting and dogfighting.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have eagerly privatised vital public services such as childcare and nursing homes but they keep publicly owned greyhound racing tracks and publicly owned freezers stuffed full of dead dogs,” he said.

“This is grotesque.

“Last August the ISPCA called for the closure of the greyhound racing industry on animal welfare grounds. Dogs Trust made a similar call in 2023. They all want a ban on greyhound racing, as does a majority of the public”.

“While the Welsh government bans this cruel industry, the new Programme for Government undertakes to “Ensure the continued support to the Horse and Greyhound Fund”.

“The Greyhound industry receives about €20 million per annum from the state.

“Without that funding greyhound racing would cease to exist.

“In future people will look back at these practices in the same light as banned barbaric practices such as badger baiting and dogfighting.

“Public funding of greyhound racing should stop immediately and the industry should be banned as soon as possible.”