A Fianna Fail senator has praised greyhound racing as "a wonderful, wonderful industry which deserves to be supported by the State" - despite acknowledging major governance and dog drugging problems and conceding that the industry "continues to lose money" and is "near collapse". During a Seanad debate on Tuesday, Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill noted that the greyhound industry is "in receipt of a taxpayer subsidy of €285,000 PER WEEK this year". He expressed support for continued funding even though he made it clear that he is aware of its "significant shortcomings" and questions "the modus operandi of the Irish Greyhound Board". Senator Ó Domhnaill - Fianna Fail's Spokesperson on Rural and Regional Affairs - wants the government to continue pumping millions of euros of taxpayers' money into the industry, while simultaneously being highly critical of it. For example, during the Seanad meeting: - He criticised the IGB's "level of communication with and flow of information to the Irish Greyhound Owners And Breeders Federation" as "abysmal and shocking to say the least". - He acknowledged that the findings of an IGB-commissioned report into the doping of dogs were "alarming" and that the report "highlights the shortcomings of the Irish Greyhound Board in dealing with the drugs issue in Irish greyhound racing." - He said the industry continues to lose money and that its refusal to engage with greyhound breeders and owners is "shocking, alarming and unacceptable" He called for swift action "to save the future of this great industry from its near collapse position at the moment." Read a transcript of the debate at https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2016-12-06a.9 ACTION ALERT Contact Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill and urge him to stop pushing for continued funding of the cruel greyhound industry in which dogs are injured, mutilated and killed and in which thousands of dogs "disappear" each year. Tell him that major drops in track attendance and sponsorship shows that the Irish public and business have rejected greyhound racing. Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill Main Street, Gortahork, Co Donegal Tel: +353 (0)74 – 9165466 Email: brian.odomhnaill@oireachtas.ie Leave a comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/brian.odomhnaill Don't attend greyhound races or community fund-raisers held at greyhound tracks (these are a significant source of funding for the cruel greyhound industry). Greyhound racing should not be funded by the people of Ireland, the majority of whom have no interest in it and are rightly opposed to an industry in which dogs are injured, dumped and killed. Please join us in urging the government to stop wasting precious funds on this dying industry. Michael Noonan Minister for Finance Email: michael.noonan@oireachtas.ie CC: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie,michael.creed@oir.ie,andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie (Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, Minister of State Andrew Doyle) Telephone: +353 (0)1-6764735 An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2 Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020 Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie Tweet to @EndaKennyTD Michael Creed TD Minister for Agriculture Department of Agriculture Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Email: michael.creed@oir.ie Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510. Fax: +353 (0)1-661 1013. Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd Tweet to @creedcnw Andrew Doyle TD Minister of State, Dept of Agriculture Email: andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie Tweet to @ADoyleTD