Holly Cairns TD has restated her opposition to the government’s massive grants to cruel greyhound racing in a Sunday Independent interview (7 March 2021).
The Cork South West Social Democrats TD described greyhound racing as a “financial basket case” and said she disagrees with those who claim that it is an essential part of rural Ireland, pointing out that “there are no tracks in rural Ireland”.
She went on to denounce the government’s increase in funding to greyhound racing this year - from €16.8 million in 2020 to €19.2 million “in the context of a global pandemic when we’re not paying student nurses, and we don’t have enough refuge space in relation to domestic violence”.
Asked about the sickening photo which emerged on social media last week showing horse trainer Gordon Elliott straddling a dead horse, she stated: “I’m rarely struck for words. I’ve never seen anything like that...the kind of disrespect. The animal was already dead, but it doesn’t instill confidence in the industry and that’s a shame.”
The article by Rodney Edwards focused on misogyny and sexism in politics and highlighted a tweet last year from Greyhound Racing Ireland board member Wayne McCarthy who referred to Deputy Cairns as an “ignorant little girl” and described her remarks on opposing funding for greyhound racing as “waffle”. The tweet was liked by pro-bloodsports Fine Gael TD Joe Carey.
Deputy Cairns said it was “unacceptable” and “completely out of line” for Wayne McCarthy, a member of a State board, to refer to an elected woman in that way.
McCarthy’s offensive tweet was condemned by TDs in Dail Eireann as “absolutely disgraceful” and “horrible”. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue - who approves funding to greyhound racing - described the tweet as “simply unacceptable, sexist, offensive.” It prompted him to write to Greyhound Racing Ireland to express “my repugnance”.
The tweet came after Deputy Cairns presented a Dail motion which sought to reverse the announced €2.4 million increase in state funding to greyhound racing and phase out the funding entirely.
Since 2001, the government has shamefully channelled more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers’ money into an activity based on over-breeding greyhounds, choosing the fastest ones and discarding many of the rest. Thousands of greyhounds who are not fast enough to win races are culled in Ireland every year. RTE’s “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary included shocking scenes of greyhounds being brought to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip.
The Social Democrats’ motion was disgracefully blocked by a government countermotion backed by 33 Fine Gael TDs, 33 Fianna Fail TDs and all 12 Green Party TDs. The politicians voted for a continuation of the grants to greyhound racing despite an opinion poll showing that a two-thirds majority want the funding stopped (with just 16% wanting it to continue). Petitions calling for an end to the funding have been signed by more than 400,000.
Join the growing calls for an end to the funding - please respond to our action alert below.
SEE ALSO:
Holly Cairns, Cork's only female TD: 'I was laughed at when I said I was running for office'
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/holly-cairns-corks-only-female-td-i-was-laughed-at-when-i-said-i-was-running-for-office-40167223.html
Sexism in Irish Politics: Holly Cairns TD
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/194574848883781/
“Disgraceful”, “Horrible”, “Sexist. Offensive”: TDs condemn tweet from GRI board member
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2020/12/02/disgraceful-horrible-sexist-offensive-tds-condemn-tweet-from-gri-board-member/
ACTION ALERT
Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted €1,461,991,713 – €1.46 BILLION – of scarce public funds to horse and greyhound racing. That’s €1,169 million for horse racing and €292 million for greyhound racing.
Contact Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding to these two gambling activities which cause suffering and death to animals and damage Ireland’s international image. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin
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
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar
Telephone: +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Paschal Donohoe TD
Minister for Finance
Email: paschal.donohoe@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
Tel: 01 6045810
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaschalDonohoe/
Tweet to @Paschald
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please write your own personal letter)
Dear Deputy,
I am writing to urge you to please oppose any further funding to horse and greyhound racing.
The Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund has channelled €1,461,991,713 of scarce public funds into the gambling activities over the past two decades.
Much of the money given to horse racing ends up as prize money in the pockets of wealthy horse owners and trainers, while the funding for greyhound racing continues despite revelations about obscene cruelty and killing and calls for a ban.
If you saw the “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary, you will understand why there should be absolutely no support given to this shameful industry. The programme revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win. We were shown horrifying scenes of greyhounds being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
The programme also highlighted the illegal practice of doping dogs to make them run faster or slower to influence the outcomes of races. Also shown were greyhounds with their ears chopped off or burned with acid (to remove identity tattoos before being dumped) and the hellholes that await Irish greyhounds exported to China and Pakistan.
A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports and Greyhound Action Ireland shows that two out of every three Irish adults want the government to stop funding greyhound racing [66% Agree, 16% Disagree, 18% Don’t Know] Petitions urging the government to stop the funding have attracted over 400,000 signatures.
It is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE that public funds have been pumped into horse and greyhound racing. It is time for this to be stopped and for the money to be redirected to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Address]
Email the letter to 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
Irish Government grants to horse racing
2001 €47,110,330
2002 €54,452,651
2003 €51,348,800
2004 €53,531,200
2005 €54,680,000
2006 €56,047,000
2007 €58,539,000
2008 €61,028,800
2009 €54,502,000
2010 €47,411,200
2011 €45,830,000
2012 €45,032,000
2013 €44,016,000
2014 €43,376,000
2015 €54,400,000
2016 €59,200,000
2017 €64,000,000
2018 €64,000,000
2019 €67,200,000
2020 €67,200,000
2021 €76,800,000
Total: €1,169 Million (€1.169 Billion)
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
Find out more about Holly Cairns TD and the Social Democrats
https://www.socialdemocrats.ie/our-people/holly-mckeevercairns/
Watch RTE’s award-winning "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
Watch Holly Cairns’ TD’s opening and closing speeches during November’s Dail debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG0jL7zqH8g
Watch the full Dail debate
https://youtu.be/_Z9vNQ8JtQ4
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports