Paul Murphy TD has again asked the Minister for Agriculture when surgical artificial insemination of greyhounds will be banned in Ireland.
In a 19 February 2026 Dail Question, Deputy Murphy (Solidarity-People Before Profit) asked for "the specific date for making the results of Greyhound Racing Ireland's public consultation on artificial insemination in greyhounds available for public review; to provide a specific timeline in respect of the next steps following this consultation" and "when a ban on surgical artificial insemination of greyhounds will commence".
Surgical insemination involves anaesthetising a female dog, making an incision in her abdomen and lifting out her uterus before semen is injected into it with a needle. The uterus is then put back and the surgery area stitched closed. Surgical AI on dogs is already against the law in the UK, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands.
In 2024, the Veterinary Council of Ireland updated its code of professional conduct to state: “Save where otherwise provided for in law, canine surgical artificial insemination, a non-therapeutic procedure, must not be performed in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations and given the suitable alternative of transcervical artificial insemination”
In a statement at the time, the VCI outlined its reasons for the move: “The Veterinary Council has decided, in the interest of dog health and welfare, to update the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners and provide guidance to veterinary practitioners and the public on the matter of Canine Surgical Artificial Insemination, namely, to prohibit canine surgical artificial insemination by veterinary practitioners in Ireland. The Veterinary Council, in considering canine surgical artificial insemination, agreed that the ethical and welfare issues arising from this procedure stem from the fact that the dogs undergo a highly invasive surgery to ensure pregnancy, and this presents an unacceptable level of risk for dogs. The Veterinary Council considers there is no justifiable reason for this procedure in circumstances where a non-surgical, minimally invasive, and effective alternative exists. The risks and discomfort associated with undertaking surgical insemination are unnecessary with transcervical insemination now available.”
Responding to Paul Murphy TD, the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon stated: "The Veterinary Council of Ireland announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhound Regulations 2005. The report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs, which was approved by Government in March 2023, and has been published online at gov.ie - Working Group on Control of Dogs (www.gov.ie includes a recommendation that surgical artificial insemination in canines be prohibited, where the word canine encompasses all breeds of dogs. In 2024, my Department held a public consultation on whether the practice of carrying out surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds should be banned or not and the results of the public consultation are now available on Animal Welfare (www.gov.ie My Department is closely examining this issue and will be providing advice on an appropriate course of action in the near future."
Surgical artificial insemination was shamefully performed hundreds of times on greyhounds in Ireland since 2019 alone – a reminder that the pursuit of prize-money comes before the welfare of dogs. Not even cutting into the bodies of greyhounds in a bid to produce winning litters has been off-limits in the cruel greyhound "industry".
ACTION ALERT
Get in touch with Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon to demand an urgent ban on surgical artificial insemination.
Martin Heydon TD
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: 01-618 3017
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie; martin.heydon@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/martinheydonfg
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/martinheydonfg
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at greyhound tracks.
Urge the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein to end the state funding that is keeping the dying greyhound “industry” afloat.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Please sign and share the petitions
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound “industry”
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Tell Gain Pet Nutrition to Stop Sponsoring Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/jimtracy-glanbia-ie-tell-gain-pet-nutrition-to-stop-sponsoring-greyhound-racing
SEE ALSO
Why Ireland Must Ban Surgical Artificial Insemination
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/why-ireland-must-ban-surgical-artificial-insemination/
Senator Chris Andrews renews call for ban on surgical AI of greyhounds
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/06/23/senator-chris-andrews-renews-call-for-ban-on-surgical-ai-of-greyhounds/
Surgical artificial insemination is a “barbaric and invasive procedure used on greyhounds”
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/07/16/surgical-artificial-insemination-is-a-barbaric-and-invasive-procedure-used-on-greyhounds/
Vets MUST NOT perform painful surgical artificial insemination on (most) dogs
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/05/15/vets-must-not-perform-painful-surgical-artificial-insemination-on-most-dogs/
Surgical artificial insemination is a “barbaric and invasive procedure used on greyhounds”
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/07/16/surgical-artificial-insemination-is-a-barbaric-and-invasive-procedure-used-on-greyhounds/
Pete the Vet: Greyhounds must not be excluded from surgical AI ban
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/05/12/pete-the-vet-greyhounds-must-not-be-excluded-from-surgical-ai-ban/
Ban on surgical AI in dogs ‘will be implemented’
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/04/14/ban-on-surgical-ai-in-dogs-will-be-implemented/
Veterinary Council of Ireland Public Consultation – Canine Surgical Artificial Insemination Outcome
https://vci.ie/Utility/News/2024/Veterinary-Council-of-Ireland-Public-Consultation
Dail Question - For Written Answer on 19 February 2026
Department: Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Asked by: Paul Murphy T.D.
QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the specific date for making the results of Greyhound Racing Ireland's public consultation on artificial insemination in greyhounds available for public review; to provide a specific timeline in respect of the next steps following this consultation; when a ban on surgical artificial insemination of greyhounds will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
Minister Martin Heydon: Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy on "Greyhound Racing Ireland's public consultation on artificial insemination in greyhounds" is an operational matter for RCÉ and therefore the question has been referred to that body for direct reply.
The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhound Regulations 2005.
The report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs, which was approved by Government in March 2023, and has been published online at gov.ie - Working Group on Control of Dogs (www.gov.ie includes a recommendation that surgical artificial insemination in canines be prohibited, where the word canine encompasses all breeds of dogs.
In 2024, my Department held a public consultation on whether the practice of carrying out surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds should be banned or not and the results of the public consultation are now available on Animal Welfare (www.gov.ie My Department is closely examining this issue and will be providing advice on an appropriate course of action in the near future.