"It is time now for Irish people to take a stand, and demand that our hard-earned taxes are no longer used to prop up this moribund industry" / "I suggest the disbandment and dissolution of the greyhound industry should be supported" - Read Nuala Donlon's and John Fitzgerald's Letters to the Editor in today's Irish Independent...
It’s time to take a stand over cruelty of greyhound industry
Irish Independent. July 1st 2019
The “horrified” response of Minister Andrew Doyle to the ‘Prime Time Investigates’ exposé of the savage cruelty underpinning the greyhound racing industry is disingenuous in the extreme.
It is simply not credible that he could have been unaware of the systematic and routine abuse of animals perpetrated by those involved in greyhound racing.
Campaigning groups have, for years, been highlighting the high kill rates of healthy dogs, the deaths on the tracks and the appalling treatment of Irish greyhounds exported to disreputable third countries.
Was the minister not listening to the several submissions made in Dáil Éireann before last year’s Greyhound Racing Act was passed, when concerns about all of these abuses were raised?
It is time now for Irish people to take a stand, and demand that our hard-earned taxes are no longer used to prop up this moribund industry.
Nuala Donlon
Spokesperson, Greyhound Action Ireland
Savage practices are not deserving of our support
Irish Independent. July 1st 2019
In addition to the savage ill-treatment of dogs exposed by the ‘RTÉ Investigates’ programme on the greyhound industry, there’s the question of prominent coursing officials filmed heading to an illegal hare coursing event on Whiddy Island.
Thousands of hares are targeted annually by coursing clubs that receive a licence from a Government department authorising them to snatch these unfortunate animals, not for any supposed pest control or scientific purposes, but for use as live bait.
On the coursing fields, hares are terrorised, mauled, have their bones crushed, and are tossed about like broken toys.
While stating that he was upset by what he saw on the programme, Tánaiste Simon Coveney added that the industry deserved “to be supported”.
I disagree. I suggest that its disbandment and dissolution should be supported.
John Fitzgerald
Callan, Co Kilkenny
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ICABS 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 other 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