Andrews criticises greyhound industry for lack of transparency and accountability

Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews has criticised the lack of transparency and accountability expected of the Greyhound Racing Ireland by the government, noting a recent Parliamentary Budget Office report on the lack of economic justification for continued state funding for the industry.

Senator Andrews stated that Greyhound Racing Ireland is “completely reliant” on state handouts, with public funding accounting for 45.9% of their revenue in 2024.

“Despite hundreds of millions of euros being gifted to the industry in recent years, racecourse attendance has plummeted and the visibility of the industry across the country has faded,” he said.

Since 2011, GRI’s self-assessment of its economic value has decreased by 53%, while both attendance and industry employment have fallen by over 50%, but over the same period, taxpayer funding for GRI has risen by 71%.

“The economic justification for GRI’s funding continues to rely almost exclusively on a self-commissioned GRI report using data from 2019,” Senator Andrews explained.

“The Minister for Agriculture has stated that he has no intention of questioning the accuracy of this report and will continue to follow GRI’s lead when determining their funding allocation.”

The Dublin Senator said, “the government seems determined to keep its head in the sand when it comes to the reality of the Irish greyhound industry.”

“Unconditional funding for GRI undermines efforts to improve transparency, welfare standards, and efficiency within the industry,” he said.

Andrews stated that the government’s hands-off approach to greyhound racing encourages wasteful spending and dishonesty and “does nothing to build a sustainable and economically viable domestic industry.”

“The Minister for Agriculture should immediately commission an independent report on the economic value and viability of the greyhound industry; the taxpayer should not be expected to write GRI a blank cheque year after year without knowing the value of their investment,” he said,.