The cruel greyhound industry, comprising track racing and hare coursing, "should not receive a single cent of taxpayers' money, let alone €16 million" - Read John Fitzgerald's Letter to the Editor in today's Sunday Independent...
State shouldn't back dog cruelty
Sunday Independent, 30th June 2019
What a shocker the RTE Investigates programme on the greyhound industry was: Thousands of Irish greyhounds culled every year due to massive over-breeding...scenes of distressing inhumanity as dogs were shot at knackeries for as little as €10 per animal. Greyhounds with their ears burned off by acid to avoid identification, greyhounds doped to the eyeballs to make them run faster.
And then we were reminded that hare coursing, banned almost everywhere else, is part of our greyhound industry.
According to the programme, well-known coursing officials have attended "unregulated" coursing fixtures held on Whiddy Island, with footage showing a ferry packed with coursing fans and their greyhounds.
Coursing clubs claim to be concerned for the welfare of the hare. Yet we saw clear images of prominent coursing men, caught in the act of unregulated coursing.
And the Government and Fianna Fail politicians wringing their hands all voted against the 2016 Bill proposing a ban on hare coursing and in favour of State funding of the greyhound racing/hare baiting racket.
This Chamber of Horrors should not receive a single cent of tax payer's money, let alone €16 million.
John Fitzgerald,
Callan, Co. Kilkenny
URGENT ACTION ALERT
Join us in demanding an end to the government’s massive grants to the greyhound industry – €16.8 million for 2019, bringing to around a quarter of a billion euros the amount handed over since 2001. This must be ended. Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe now.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
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: @LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
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
Last November, the following 92 TDs voted in favour of another €16.8 million in funding for greyhound racing. Join us in contacting them and demanding an end to funding for an industry that causes so much suffering and death to dogs. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/32
Bobby Aylward, Maria Bailey, Seán Barrett, John Brassil, Pat Breen, Colm Brophy, James Browne, Richard Bruton, Peter Burke, Mary Butler, Catherine Byrne, Dara Calleary, Seán Canney, Ciarán Cannon, Pat Casey, Shane Cassells, Lisa Chambers, Michael Collins, Niall Collins, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Simon Coveney, Barry Cowen, Michael Creed, John Curran, Michael D'Arcy, Jim Daly, Regina Doherty, Paschal Donohoe, Timmy Dooley, Bernard Durkan, Damien English, Alan Farrell, Frances Fitzgerald, Peter Fitzpatrick, Seán Fleming, Noel Grealish, Brendan Griffin, Michael Harty, Seán Haughey, Danny Healy-Rae, Michael Healy-Rae, Séamus Healy, Brendan Howlin, Paul Kehoe, Billy Kelleher, Alan Kelly, Seán Kyne, John Lahart, Michael Lowry, Marc MacSharry, Josepha Madigan, Micheál Martin, Helen McEntee, Finian McGrath, Mattie McGrath, Michael McGrath, John McGuinness, Joe McHugh, Tony McLoughlin, Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Kevin Moran, Aindrias Moynihan, Michael Moynihan, Margaret Murphy O'Mahony, Eoghan Murphy, Eugene Murphy, Hildegarde Naughton, Tom Neville, Carol Nolan, Michael Noonan, Darragh O'Brien, Jim O'Callaghan, Willie O'Dea, Patrick O'Donovan, Fergus O'Dowd, Kevin O'Keeffe, Fiona O'Loughlin, Frank O'Rourke, Jan O'Sullivan, Éamon Ó Cuív, Willie Penrose, Thomas Pringle, Michael Ring, Shane Ross, Brendan Ryan, Eamon Scanlon, Seán Sherlock, Brendan Smith, Niamh Smyth, David Stanton, Robert Troy, Katherine Zappone.
https://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2018-11-29a.238
Please sign and share our 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
Contact the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, and urge her not to issue a licence for another season of cruel hare coursing.
Email "Stop the cruelty. Stop licensing cruel coursing" to
josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie or
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan
Sign the petition: IRELAND BAN CRUEL HARE COURSING
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing