Greyhound racing supporters in Australia were among those who voted in an online Irish poll which the CEO of Greyhound Racing Ireland outrageously hailed as more representative than a RED C poll.
Speaking on Newstalk FM last Monday, the GRI CEO suggested that the November 2020 Journal.ie internet poll - which asked “should the government stop funding greyhound racing?” - was "representative of a wider population" when compared to a scientifically conducted RED C poll.
The result of the online poll (with attracted votes from all over the world) was 61% in favour of the Irish Government continuing its funding of greyhound racing. In stark contrast, the scientific RED C poll found that just 16% of Irish citizens want the funding to continue.
The RED C poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, found that a two-thirds majority want the government to stop the funding.
The GRI CEO's comments were immediately challenged on Newstalk’s Breakfast Show by Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns who rightly pointed out that an online poll “can be shared on the internet, shared into different WhatsApp groups”.
“They are never as accurate as a poll carried out by, for example, RED C,” she added.
It has since come to light that greyhound racing supporters in other countries networked and participated in the Journal.ie poll in a bid to boost the numbers voting in support of Irish taxpayers’ money being channelled into the cruel and dying activity.
For example, one Irish greyhound racing supporter posted a message on the Greyhound Data website urging people all around the world to vote.
“Everyone, please vote - only takes a few seconds, whether Irish, English, American, Australian, wherever, please vote and shut up the antis,” he said in a post which included a direct link to the Journal poll.
Among those responding to the call for votes were individuals in Australia, one of whom replied: “Done [voted]...currently only a small percentage difference between the Yes & No votes. I implore everyone to support our greyhound industries in whatever capacity we can...VOTE”
Several others in Australia indicated that they had voted in the Irish poll, including one who commented “I have voted - always some one trying to get rid of greyhound racing. Stick together folks and support our friends overseas.”
Writing in a Shelbourne Park race programme at the beginning of December, the chairman of Greyhound Racing Ireland Frank Nyhan claimed that the amount of people voting in the Journal.ie poll “is a demonstration of the level of support that exists for the greyhound industry” in Ireland.
“It is very heartening to see the strong support from the greyhound community in a recent poll conducted by TheJournal.ie on whether government funding should continue for the greyhound industry,” Mr Nyhan wrote. “At the time of writing, 16,843 votes have been cast in support of government funding with 45.6% of votes suggesting that funding should cease. This is a demonstration of the level of support that exists for the greyhound industry and what can be achieved when the greyhound community and those and those who support the industry act as a collective and get behind their sport and their industry.”
On the day the internet poll was published, Mr Nyhan - who is also a state solicitor for Cork City - encouraged horse racing supporters to vote NO [against the funding being stopped].
“If you support horse racing you should vote no in the Journal poll on the funding of the greyhound industry. Your sport will be next,” he stated in his tweet which was “liked” by Greyhound Racing Ireland’s Deputy CEO, Philip Peake, and Wayne McCarthy - the GRI board member whose tweet referring to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns as “an ignorant little girl” was condemned as “sexist, offensive” and "simply unacceptable" by Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.
The reality is that a two-thirds majority of Irish citizens want the government to stop all funding to greyhound racing. Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) has received more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers’ money in government grants. This includes €16.8 million for 2020 and another €19.2 million for 2021 (that’s the equivalent of €369,230 for every week of the year).
In the same period, Horse Racing Ireland has been granted more than a billion euros, including €76.8 million for 2021 - much of which ends up as prize money in the pockets of wealthy horse owners and trainers.
Following the broadcast of the “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives” documentary, there have been growing calls on the government to stop propping up the cruel activity with millions of euros of public funds.
The shocking documentary, which exposed the horrors of greyhound racing and hare coursing, revealed that thousands of greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough. It included harrowing scenes of dogs being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away.
Highlighted in the programme was a damning report which revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year because they don’t make the grade. The report, which the Irish Greyhound Board attempted to hide, estimated that, for example, a total of 17,962 greyhounds were culled in 2013, 2014 and 2015. They were killed for “failure to produce qualifying times”, “failure to produce desired entry level times” and for an “unacceptable decline in performance”.
Listen to the full Newstalk Breakfast show segment at https://newstalk.com/news/state-propping-up-greyhound-racing-industry-cant-be-justified-cairns-1150606
Watch RTE's "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
SEE ALSO
“A CAR CRASH INTERVIEW”: Off the Ball presenter reacts to Business Post interview with Greyhound Racing Ireland chairman https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/photos/a.463548137094083/3623038541145011
Greyhound Racing Ireland chairman “certain there will be fewer tracks in coming years”
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3613771902071675
The Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, has written a letter of complaint to Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) over a November tweet from board member Wayne McCarthy which referred to Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns as an “ignorant little girl”.
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3550901508358715
ACTION ALERT
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) has been granted more than a QUARTER OF A BILLION EUROS, including €16.8 million for 2020 and another €19.2 million for 2021. This is unacceptable and must be stopped.
Please contact your local TDs and urge them to oppose this funding. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
Urge the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to stop the funding and back a ban on cruel greyhound racing
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 4350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan TD
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 state funding to cruel greyhound racing” - Email all Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party TDs.
Fianna Fáil 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
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
Green Party TDs
Eamon.Ryan@greenparty.ie; catherine.martin@oireachtas.ie; patrick.costello@oireachtas.ie; francisnoel.duffy@oireachtas.ie; neasa.hourigan@oireachtas.ie; brian.leddin@oireachtas.ie; steven.matthews@oireachtas.ie; malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie; joe.obrien@oireachtas.ie; marc.ocathasaigh@oireachtas.ie; roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie;
ossian.smyth@oireachtas.ie
Sinn Fein TDs
john.brady@oireachtas.ie; pat.buckley@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Crowe@oireachtas.ie; david.cullinane@oireachtas.ie; Pearse.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; dessie.ellis@oir.ie; kathleen.funchion@oireachtas.ie; martinkennysf@gmail.com; MaryLou.McDonald@oireachtas.ie; denise.mitchell@oireachtas.ie; imelda.munster@oireachtas.ie; eoin.obroin@oireachtas.ie; donnchadh.olaoghaire@oireachtas.ie; aengus.osnodaigh@oireachtas.ie; louiseoreillysf@gmail.com; maurice.quinlivan@oireachtas.ie; Brian.Stanley@oireachtas.ie; mark.ward@oireachtas.ie; chris.andrews@oireachtas.ie; martin.browne@oireachtas.ie; matt.carthy@oireachtas.ie; sorca.clarke@oireachtas.ie; roseconwaywalsh@eircom.net; reada.cronin@oireachtas.ie; pa.daly@oireachtas.ie; paul.donnelly@oireachtas.ie; mairead.farrell@oireachtas.ie; thomas.gould@oireachtas.ie; johnny.guirke@oireachtas.ie; claire.kerrane@oireachtas.ie; padraig.maclochlainn@oir.ie; johnny.mythen@oireachtas.ie; ruairi.omurchu@oireachtas.ie; darren.orourke@oireachtas.ie; patriciaryan975@gmail.com; pauline.tully@oireachtas.ie; vwynne@gmail.com
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 the 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
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
Irish Government grants to greyhound racing
2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
Total: €292 Million (€0.292 Billion)
Source: Department of Agriculture