Dublin South-Central TD, Joan Collins, has called on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to close down the country’s greyhound tracks.

The Independents 4 Change TD contacted the Minister after ICABS highlighted sickening footage from tracks which revealed multiple breaches of the government’s COVID19 social distancing guidelines.

Deputy Collins told ICABS that she has sent a message to Minister Donnelly “requesting that greyhound tracks be shut down”.

The sickening footage was filmed on Saturday, just hours after the Department of Health confirmed another 200 cases of coronavirus infections in Ireland. Watch the footage at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89_k0Pwk3U

Published on the Irish Greyhound Board website, the 15th August videos confirm that official government/HSE guidance is not being adhered to at tracks around the country. This clearly states: “Avoid close contact with people - keep a distance of 2 metres (6.5 feet) between you and others.”

- At Shelbourne Park stadium in Dublin, groups of up to 7 people were seen rushing in together to retrieve greyhounds after races.

- At Waterford track, footage shows four to five greyhound owners or trainers next to each other collecting dogs after they finished races. Four individuals were also seen side by side putting greyhounds into the traps before the start of a race.

- At Tralee track, four greyhound owners were filmed standing next to each other at the start of a race.

- At Curraheen Park, Mullingar and Thurles tracks, there were apparent breaches of social distancing guidelines, despite the stands being near-empty.

Meanwhile, greyhound owners and trainers from the three counties currently in COVID-19 lockdown, recklessly travelled out of the counties to races at Mullingar greyhound stadium.

The Westmeath Examiner reported that “although the government reimposed strict lockdown restrictions on people living in Laois, Offaly and Kildare last Friday, August 7, due a spike in coronavirus cases, it is believed that trainers and dog owners from these counties travelled to the two meetings held in Mullingar last weekend.” https://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/2020/08/13/comprehensive-covid-response-in-place-at-mullingar-stadium-igb/

In a renewed appeal to Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, ICABS stated: “In the interests of public safety and doing everything possible to slow the spread of COVID 19, it is imperative for you to order the closure of all greyhound tracks. The Irish Greyhound Board has claimed that 'social distancing [would] be fully observed at all times' but this is certainly not happening. Greyhound racing must not be allowed to continue.”

The latest video footage follows similar scenes in March before tracks were told to shut down. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/icabs/albums/72157713579485482

Find out more about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how you can protect yourself and your family
www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/

ACTION ALERT

Join us in urging the government to immediately close down greyhound tracks.

Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly
Tel: (01) 201 7300 or (01) 618 3041
Email: ministersoffice@health.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DonnellyforWicklow
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DonnellyStephen

Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD

Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar