Sinn Fein TD, Chris Andrews, has contacted the Irish Greyhound Board about reported breaches of COVID19 social distancing guidelines at tracks.
The office of Sinn Fein president, Mary Lou McDonald TD, confirmed to ICABS that the Dublin Bay South TD “has written to the IGB regarding the concerns that you have highlighted”.
In correspondence to Sinn Fein and other parties, ICABS noted that the breaches were filmed on 15th August, just hours after the Department of Health confirmed another 200 cases of coronavirus infections - See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J89_k0Pwk3U
Published on the Irish Greyhound Board website, the video footage confirmed that official government/HSE guidance is not being adhered to at tracks...
- 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/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.
The Irish Greyhound Board has claimed that “social distancing [would] be fully observed at all times” but this is certainly not happening.
The latest footage is further to similar scenes in March before tracks were told to shut down. See https://www.flickr.com/photos/icabs/albums/72157713579485482
Calling for all tracks to be shut down, ICABS brought to the attention of TDs a report in the Westmeath Examiner newspaper which revealed that greyhound owners and trainers travelled from the lockdown counties of Laois, Offaly and Kildare to Mullingar greyhound stadium, despite the restrictions imposed by the government. At Mullingar stadium, individuals were seen standing side by side in the stands.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is being urged to shut down greyhound tracks in the interests of public safety and doing everything possible to slow the spread of COVID 19.
Find out more about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how you can protect yourself and your family https://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
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