Greyhound racing in Ireland is “basket case” says adovacy group

Greyhound advocacy group Greyhound Action Ireland has described a Dáil vote to sanction €19 million to the greyhound industry in Budget 2024 as “another shameful waste of public money on the part of this Government”

The group stated that greyhound racing enjoys “practically no support among the Irish public” and said the main reason it receives Government funding is to generate gambling product.

“Information supplied via a recent Dail question shows that in 2022, greyhound stadiums around this country were between 75 and 93 per cent empty,” they noted.

“It’s main raison d’être is to generate gambling product, and this is evidenced by the industry’s increasing reliance on the income generated from selling the rights to cover races to the Sports Information Service (SIS) streaming service, a British-owned company which supplies betting services to betting companies around the world.”

“The Irish greyhound industry is an economic basket case,” it stated, and failed to find the logic in the industry receiving substantial Government funding.

“The recently released Annual Report for 2022 shows that last year it had a pre-tax profit of just €1.08 million, a 63% drop on the previous year.  The industry hasn’t delivered a dividend to the Irish state in over 25 years, nor is it likely to do so going forward.”

“Simply put, greyhound racing couldn’t continue to exist without the huge tranche of taxpayers’ money it gets every year,” they said.

The group also flagged welfare concerns for the dogs that take part in greyhound racing.

Per the group, 122 dogs were killed while racing on tracks around Ireland, while 287 were injured.

People Before Profit Paul Murphy TD said “it is scandalous that government TDs, including the Green Party, are once again supporting the transfer of almost €100 million of public money to the horse and greyhound racing industry.”

“This is at a time when only €15 million a year is provided in core funding for sports organisations in this country, including the FAI, the GAA, Swim Ireland, and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.”

“Public money is supporting cruelty in the greyhound industry. It is ending up in the pockets of some of the richest people in the country in the horse racing industry.”