The new Minister for Agriculture - who has responsibility for animal welfare legislation - gave his backing to the export of Irish greyhounds during a Dail Eireann debate at which a party colleague described dog exports to China as one of the “exciting possibilities for the greyhound industry”.
Speaking at a Dail debate on the Welfare of Greyhounds Bill (30th June 2011), Barry Cowen TD, stated: “Ireland is regarded as a world class player in dog breeding and there must be significant potential to exploit this further. Greyhounds can become an even more significant export industry than has been the case, although already quite significant, and the Irish industry model can be transferred to other countries. That aspect is being investigated and developed. It is something I support.”
“With regard to the exportation of our outstanding model, which is sought and admired by many others worldwide, the greyhound welfare aspect of the industry is its lifeblood. Without the right welfare system in place and adherence thereto, the industry would not be the thriving one that it is and can be. This being the case, who is to say we cannot seek to have our mechanisms, standards and procedures in place in countries to which we seek to export our model? It is only with these in place that we would export the model and that the industry would become self-sustaining and generate greater profits than have been generated heretofore, even against the current economic backdrop.” Read the full debate at https://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2011-06-30.344.0
While Deputy Cowen did not specifically mention China, he was almost certainly referring to that country. He and Fianna Fail party colleague, Michael Moynihan TD (Cork North West), shared the available time to make their two speeches. Moynihan referred to “discussions about the possibility of exporting greyhound racing to China” and described this as one of the “exciting possibilities for the greyhound industry”.
Immediately following this, Barry Cowen TD (a former manager of Mullingar Greyhound Stadium) addressed the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, and encouraged him to “support all the efforts being made to seek to export our model, which is the envy of many others”.
“Were our model sold to the right countries and interested parties, it would represent a huge net gain to this country's coffers and economic viability,” he continued. “The potential is considerable and I hope we do not hide behind scaremongering correspondence such as the emails I have received. I know the industry and grew up with it and realise its potential. I grew up realising its impact on rural communities and its great social benefit. It has the potential to be exported and nobody should stand in the way of the Department, the Irish Coursing Club and the Irish Greyhound Board in exploring this to the utmost. It would be a shame if the Minister of State were blocked by someone casting groundless aspersions. I ask the Minister of State not to let us down in this regard. I ask him to return to the House to outline progress in this area.”
Cowen’s statements came a month after it was announced that the then government would not be approving a despicable plan by the Irish Greyhound Board to export thousands of greyhounds to China - a country with zero animal welfare laws where dogs are beaten, boiled alive and hung on hooks at meat markets. This followed an international outcry and massive public pressure on the government to act. While the plan to export dogs was eventually scrapped, the semi-state Irish Greyhound Board persisted in exploring the possibility of helping to establish or manage greyhound racing in China. This too was later abandoned after politicians continued receiving phone calls and emails from concerned citizens in Ireland and around the world..
Among those who called for the plan to be blocked were a group of 37 animal lovers from the world of entertainment. In a letter published in the Irish Times of 12 May 2011, the singers, musicians, actors, directors, comedians, designers, etc condemned the IGB's proposal as "cynical", "sinister" and "ominous".
While welcoming the Department of Agriculture's rejection of the Greyhound Board’s attempt to export greyhounds to China, they challenged the IGB’s plan to operate in China - "They will have to get greyhounds from somewhere for this cruel sport...In China, there is a massive amount of well-documented evidence of dogs and cats being thrown alive into boiling water, and then skinned, alive, to eventually end up for sale in open markets. The Department of Agriculture may sign off on this new proposal. Now they need to take responsibility for deciding whether or not Ireland’s reputation is worth more than the money that may be generated by this ominous project."
The letter was signed by Brendan Gleeson, Christy Moore, Paul Brady, Louis Walsh, Damien Rice, Imelda May, Darrel Higham, Damien Dempsey, Andrea Corr, Paddy Moloney, Louis Copeland, Eleanor Shanley, Ian Dempsey, Linda Martin, Declan O’Rourke, Luka Bloom, Luan Parle, Donal Lunny, Mundy, Frances Black, Lucia Evans, Barry Murphy, John Reynolds, Mary Black, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Lenny Abrahamson, Mark Rowlands, Glenda Gilson, Jerry Fish, Ciara Sidine, Gavin Friday, Tommy Tiernan, Jack Lukeman, Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny, Sharon Shannon and Geraldine Murphy.
Also condemning the IGB’s desire to send Irish dogs to China was actor and comedian Ricky Gervais. In a front page Irish Sunday Times report, Ricky said he was "extremely concerned for these dogs”.
“It is bad enough that many greyhounds are killed and injured through commercial racing in the UK and Ireland and other parts of the world," he said. "Now the Irish greyhound racing industry wants to expand and send greyhounds to China.”
Sadly, over the years, greyhounds have continued to end up in China. See a list of some of the doomed greyhounds from Ireland and the UK who are now in China https://www.cagednw.co.uk/chinaexports.html
The dreadful horrors awaiting greyhounds shamefully exported to China and Pakistan were exposed on the award-winning "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives" documentary https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
ACTION ALERT
Please contact political party leaders and urge them to permanently end greyhound racing and hare coursing.
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088 OR 01–618 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Another €16.8 million of scarce public funds has been approved for greyhound racing for 2020. Since 2001, greyhound racing has received more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money. Please contact your local TDs and demand that they vote against this funding. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
Contact Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour Party TDs and urge them to vote against any further funding for cruel greyhound racing and back a ban on bloodsports.
Fine Gael TDs
JohnPaul.Phelan@oireachtas.ie,Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie,joe.carey@oireachtas.ie,david.stanton@oir.ie,colm.burke@oireachtas.ie,michael.creed@oireachtas.ie,Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie,joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie,richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie,Eoghan.Murphy@oireachtas.ie,Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie,Alan.Farrell@oireachtas.ie,emer.higgins@oireachtas.ie,neale.richmond@oireachtas.ie,josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie,colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie,leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie,jennifer.carrollmacneill@oireachtas.ie,Ciaran.Cannon@oireachtas.ie,hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie,Brendan.Griffin@oireachtas.ie,bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie,Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie,charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie,kieran.odonnell@oireachtas.ie,Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie,peter.burke@oireachtas.ie,fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie,alan.dillon@oireachtas.ie,michael.ring@oireachtas.ie,helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie,damien.english@oireachtas.ie,frank.feighan@oireachtas.ie,paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie,Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie
Fianna Fail TDs
john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie,niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie,brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie,aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie,michael.moynihan.td@oireachtas.ie,micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie,michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie,Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie,sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie,jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie,darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie,jack@jackchambers.ie,anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie,eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie,james.lawless@oireachtas.ie,sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie,sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie,barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie,willie.odea@oireachtas.ie,niall.collins@oireachtas.ie,Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie,dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie,thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie,marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie,jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie,mary.butler@oireachtas.ie,james.browne@oireachtas.ie,jennifer.murnaneoconnor@oireachtas.ie,cathal.crowe@oireachtas.ie,james.oconnor@oireachtas.ie,padraig.osullivan@oireachtas.ie,christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie,paul.mcauliffe@oireachtas.ie,john.lahart@oireachtas.ie,cormac@cormacdevlin.ie,normafoley1@eircom.net,joe.flaherty@oireachtas.ie,Stephen.Donnelly@oireachtas.ie
Labour Party TDs
sean.sherlock@oireachtas.ie,aodhan.oriordain@oireachtas.ie,duncan.smith@oireachtas.ie,gerald.nash@oireachtas.ie,Alan.Kelly@oireachtas.ie,brendan.howlin@oireachtas.ie
Please sign and share petitions
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry
Ban Blood Sports in Ireland Now
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland
Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing
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
Sinn Fein: Support a ban on cruel hare coursing
https://www.change.org/p/sinn-fein-support-a-ban-on-cruel-hare-coursing
BARRY COWEN AND ANIMAL CRUELTY ISSUES
In June 2016, Barry Cowen was among the 114 TDs who voted against Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan’s bill which sought to ban cruel hare coursing.
In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, he voted in favour of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations which granted €80 million/€80 million/€84 million/€84 million of taxpayers’ money to horse and greyhound racing.
“I will not be supporting any upcoming bill seeking to ban hare coursing.” Barry Cowen in an email to ICABS, 1st February, 2012.
“An Taoiseach [Brian Cowen]’s brother Barry Cowen has been appointed to the vacant General Manager position at Mullingar Greyhound Track. Cowen takes over as Sales, Commercial and Operations Manager at Mullingar Track next Monday…Cowen is a well known and successful greyhound owner and has been involved in the ownership of many of the very speedy Gilbeyhall greyhounds.” Irish Examiner Thursday, November 04, 2010.
“Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s brother has been appointed to a new post with the Irish Greyhound Board. He went for the job after the slowdown in his auctioneering and valuing business following the collapse of the property market. Barry Cowen, who is a Fianna Fail councillor for the Cowen family’s home town of Clara in Co Offaly, is to take up his new job at Mullingar Greyhound Stadium next Monday. Mr Cowen has been appointed sales, commercial and operations manager in Mullingar and said he was looking forward to the challenge. Sources at the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) said the job came with a salary of around €35,000 to €40,000…’I have an extensive knowledge and appreciation of the industry over many years,’ Mr Cowen, who also used to work in financial services, added. He said that he has experience as a dog breeder and owner, but added he would still be keeping his auctioneering business…As a councillor, Mr Cowen received €42,129 in wages, expenses and allowances last year. IGB bosses say Mr Cowen will help with turning the fortunes of the track around, with profits down from previous peaks of around €200,000 a year. The track has seen attendances fall since the opening of the new Dublin to Galway motorway, with many punters now opting to go to Shelbourne Park in the capital or Newbridge Greyhound Stadium instead.” from Cowen’s brother lands dogs job – Greyhound board insists decision not influenced by politics, Irish Independent, 4th November 2010.
“This bill [Wildlife Amendment Bill 2010] is about ensuring the highest standard possible for our animals. The proposed legislation will not have any implications for other country pursuits such as fox hunting, hare coursing, fishing, deer stalking. All allegations that this is a threat to these industries is false” Clara Councillor Barry Cowen quoted in the Offaly Express, May 11th, 2010
“I know the [greyhound] industry and grew up with it and realise its potential. I grew up realising its impact on rural communities and its great social benefit. It has the potential to be exported and nobody should stand in the way of the Department, the Irish Coursing Club and the Irish Greyhound Board in exploring this to the utmost.” Welfare of Greyhounds Bill 2010, 30th June 2011.