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Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has claimed that cruel hare coursing gets no funding from the government, despite the Irish Coursing Club having received money from Revenue.
Revenue, on behalf of the government, paid out wage subsidies to the Irish Coursing Club, it has emerged.
The “Irish Coursing Club, Davis Rd, Clonmel, Co Tipperary” appears on Revenue’s “List of Employers who received payments under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2020”
Despite this, Minister Charlie McConalogue told Brian Leddin TD this month that “coursing receives no funding from the government”.
The Minister was responding to a 8 March 2022 Dail Question from Deputy Leddin (Green Party, Limerick City) who enquired about “the public funding received by a club (details supplied) either directly or indirectly through public funding given to Rásaíocht Con Éireann in each of the years 2019 to 2022”
Minister McConalogue stated in a reply: “Coursing receives no funding from the government or RCÉ [Greyhound Racing Ireland]. Funding is derived from Stud Book registration fees and the Irish Coursing Club newspaper ‘The Sporting Press’.” The Greyhound and Sporting Press publication was also on the 2020 and 2021 Revenue lists as a recipient of wage subsidy payments.
Also on both lists was “Powerstown Racing Ltd, c/o Irish Coursing Club”, the “Powerstown Park” horse racing venue where the annual “hare coursing finals” are held.
Fox hunters, greyhound tracks and a fur farm were also among those who benefited from the government’s Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2020 and 2021.
The pandemic payments scheme, administered by Revenue on behalf of the government, came into effect on 1 September 2020. The Revenue website outlines that “in 2020, over €1.4 billion was paid out under the scheme to more than 39,800 eligible employers in respect of 443,100 employees.”
It is unknown how much money Revenue shamefully handed over to the bloodsports groups and fur farm. While the names and addresses of recipients were published in accordance with requirements of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020, the amounts paid out were not revealed.
“The legislation does not make provision for the subsidy amounts paid to each employer to be published,” Revenue states. “As such, and in keeping with Revenue's confidentiality obligations under Section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act, subsidy amounts are not stated.”
The Ward Union Hunt Club also appeared on the list of recipients. So too did Horse Racing Ireland and Greyhound Racing Ireland.
Horse Racing Ireland had already been allocated €67,200,000 in government funding for 2020 and €76,800,000 for 2021 (plus €70,400,000 for 2022) while Greyhound Racing Ireland received €16,800,000 for 2020, €19,200,000 for 2021 and €17,600,000 for 2022.
Below are extracts from the Revenue lists which can be seen in full at
https://www.revenue.ie/en/employing-people/ewss/list-of-employers-who-received-payments-under-the-ewss.aspx
“List of Employers who received payments under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2020”
Irish Coursing Club, Davis Rd, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Powerstown Racing Ltd, c/o Irish Coursing Club, Davis Road, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
The Master Galway Blazers, Mr Michael Dempsey, The Kennels, Craughwell, Co Galway
The Master Of The Meath Hunt, c/o Meath Hunt Secretary, Oak Tree Farm Athboy, Co Meath
Carbery Hunt Club, Old Military Barracks, Bandon, Co Cork
Carlow Farmers Hunt Club, Poppies, Ballinabranna, Milford, Co Carlow
Fingal Harriers Hunt, C/o Roisin Hughes, Lusk , Co Dublin
Kilkenny Hunt, Fleming Accountancy Services, 29 Lower Patrick Street, Kilkenny
Kilmoganny Harriers Hunt Club, C/o Marie Fitzgerald, Piltown, Co Kilkenny
Laois Hunt Club Company Limited, C/o Ms M Booth, The Heath, Portlaoise, Co Laois
Louth Hunt, C/o Ms Mary Shirley, Ardee, Co Louth
Stonehall Harriers Hunt, C/o Ivan Mcdonagh, Askeaton, Co Limerick
The County Limerick Hunt Club, C/o Matthew Lloyd, Bruff, Co Limerick
Tipperary Hunt, C/o Michael Murphy, Cashel, Co Tipperary
United Hunt Club, C/o Lucey & Co, 99 Main Street, Midleton, Co Cork
Waterford Hunt, Ballydurn, Portlaw, Waterford
Greyhound Racing Ireland, Irish Greyhound Board, Greenpark, Dock Rd, Limerick
Greyhound Racing Operations Ireland Limited, Offices Of Bord Na Gcon, Dock Road, Limerick
Abargrove Limited, Irish Greyhound Board, Greenpark, Dock Road, Limerick
[a subsidiary of Greyhound Racing Ireland which operates catering facilities at greyhound stadia]
Davis Road [Clonmel] Greyhound Stadium Plc, Davis Road, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Enniscorthy Greyhound Racing Company Limited, Show Grounds, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford
Kilkenny Greyhound Racing Co Ltd, St James Park, Freshford Road, Kilkenny
Thurles Greyhound Racing And Sports Association Public Limited Company, Townspark, Thurles, Co Tipperary
Greyhound And Sporting Press Limited, Davis Rd, Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Horse Racing Ireland, Ballymany House, The Curragh, Co Kildare
Vasa Ltd [fur farm], Vasa Mink Farm, Ballymanus, Stradbally, Co Laois
Extract from “List of Employers who received payments under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2021, Q1”
Powerstown Racing Ltd C/o Irish Coursing Club
The Master Galway Blazers Mr Michael Dempsey The Kennels Craughwell Co Galway
The Master Of The Meath Hunt c/o Meath Hunt Secretary Oak Tree Farm Athboy Co Meath
Carbery Hunt Club Old Military Barracks Bandon Co Cork
Carlow Farmers Hunt Club, Poppies Ballinabranna Milford Co Carlow
Fingal Harriers Hunt C/o Roisin Hughes Lusk Co Dublin
Kilkenny Hunt, Fleming Accountancy Services, 29 Lower Patrick Street Kilkenny
Kilmoganny Harriers Hunt Club C/o Marie Fitzgerald Piltown Co Kilkenny
Laois Hunt Club Company C/o Ms M Booth The Heath Portlaoise Co Laois
Louth Hunt C/o Ms Mary Shirley Ardee Co Louth
Stonehall Harriers Hunt C/o Ivan Mcdonagh Askeaton Co Limerick
The County Limerick Hunt Club C/o Matthew Lloyd Bruff Co Limerick
Tipperary Hunt C/o Michael Murphy Cashel Co Tipperary
United Hunt Club C/o Lucey & Co 99 Main Street Midleton Co Cork
Waterford Hunt Ballydurn Portlaw Waterford
Ward Union Hunt Club Dunshaughlin Co Meath
Vasa Ltd [fur farm], Vasa Mink Farm Ballymanus Stradbally Co Laois
Greyhound Racing Ireland Irish Greyhound Board Greenpark Dock Rd Limerick
Greyhound Racing Operations Ireland Limited Offices Of Bord Na gCon Dock Road Limerick
Abargrove Limited Irish Greyhound Board Greenpark Dock Road Limerick
[a subsidiary of Greyhound Racing Ireland which operates catering facilities at greyhound stadia]
Kilkenny Greyhound Racing Co Ltd St James Park Freshford Road Kilkenny
Davis Road [Clonmel] Greyhound Stadium Plc Davis Road Clonmel Co Tipperary
Enniscorthy Greyhound Racing Company Limited Show Grounds Enniscorthy Co Wexford
Greyhound And Sporting Press limited Davis Rd Clonmel Co Tipperary
Kilkenny Greyhound Racing Co Ltd St James Park Freshford Road Kilkenny
Thurles Greyhound Racing And Sports Association, Townspark Thurles Co Tipperary