Greyhound tracks around Ireland are continuing to record massive financial losses and track attendance is plummeting, the latest Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) annual report has revealed. The report published last week shows that all of the taxpayer-funded IGB's tracks suffered losses in 2017, while its food and drinks subsidiary company (Abargrove Ltd) made a loss of nearly half a million euros. The next largest loss (€356,303) was seen at Limerick track - the headquarters of the IGB. Track attendance fell in 2017 by 122,368 to 514,546 - the lowest level since records began - and the average attendance at race meetings dropped from 380 to 329. That's despite the marketing and promotion budget being increased to €1.7 million. The IGB is pointing to the temporary closure of Shelbourne Park (due to protests by greyhound breeders against the shutting down of Harold's Cross stadium) for the drop in attendance but the reality is that track attendance has been steadily falling over the past decade. Since 2007, when attendance was 1.12 million, the number of people going to greyhound races has slumped by 54 per cent. This is almost certainly linked to a growing awareness among the Irish public about the doping of dogs (to affect the outcomes of races) and the injuries and deaths of greyhounds. In the past four years, 1,369 greyhounds suffered injuries at tracks around the country and 438 were killed by track vets. While figures are not available for the seven privately-owned tracks, it is believed that they too are making substantial losses. For example, Longford greyhound track (owned by a Scottish businessman) came close to closure last year, saved only after a fundraising drive and continued annual cash injections of over €40,000 from the Irish Greyhound Board. Last month, Lifford track in Donegal was put on the market for the second time in four years. A drop in attendance was noted by one visitor, who commented on the Lifford Greyhound Stadium Facebook page: "I absolutely love this greyhound stadium but can't believe how quiet it has gotten over the years..." The IGB annual report reveals that the Board is continuing to hand over substantial sums of money to the private tracks - "grant assistance to private stadia" increased from €311,222 in 2016 to €340,758 last year. "Long term loans" to the IGB's subsidiaries amount to nearly €17 million. Contributions to greyhound welfare and Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, meanwhile, fell from a total of €366,785 in 2016 to €363,989 last year. Also down in 2017 was the total prize money as well as prize money contributions from owners and sponsors. The operating surplus fell by nearly a half - from €3.2 million to €1.67 million. The IGB report thanks Ministers Michael Creed and Andrew Doyle who have "maintained strong government support for the industry and the €16 million allocation in 2017 from the Horse & Greyhound Racing Fund is evident of this support". The IGB says that the government grant supports "the prize money for 7,000 greyhound owners" and claims it also supports "five thousand jobs, directly and indirectly, across 16 tracks nationally". The only evidence of jobs in the annual report is 125 full time staff at the Irish Greyhound Board and its subsidiaries and 100 race night casual staff. Claims of thousands of jobs have previously been dismissed as "almost laughable" and "more than questionable". LOSSES AT IGB GREYHOUND TRACKS Abargrove Limited €478,164 Loss (IGB food and drinks subsidiary, also operates Newbridge track) Curraheen Park €234,345 Loss Galway stadium €192,189 Loss Harold's Cross €168,819 Loss Limerick track €356,303 Loss Mullingar track €218,317 Loss Shelbourne Park €115,476 Loss Tralee track €202,631 Loss Waterford track €143,251 Loss Youghal track €157,231 Loss See the full IGB annual report at https://www.igb.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/annual-reports/bord-na-gcon-annual-report-2017.pdf ACTION ALERT Don't attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties held at greyhound tracks. The cruel and crumbling greyhound industry has received nearly a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money since 2001 (including €16 million for 2018). Urge Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to end funding to the greyhound industry and instead direct the money to charities and other deserving causes. Email "Stop funding the cruel greyhound industry" to taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, minister@per.gov.ie An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2 Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020 Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie, finegael@finegael.ie Tweet to: @campaignforLeo Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/ Paschal Donohoe TD Minister for Finance Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie, minister@per.gov.ie Phone: +353 (0)1 6045810 Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/ Tweet to @Paschald Please sign and share our petition Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry