Attendance at greyhound tracks around Ireland fell by a massive 73% last year, Greyhound Racing Ireland’s latest annual report reveals.
Attendance figures plummeted by 336,333 from 462,709 in 2019 to 126,376 in 2020.
“The reduction occurred due to the period of cessation of racing and the requirement to race behind closed doors for most of the year,” GRI declares in its annual report. However, this is not altogether true - members of the public staying away from tracks also contributed to the reduction.
Before Covid-related restrictions in March, greyhound racing had already recorded significant drops in attendance - as confirmed by an Indecon report commissioned by Greyhound Racing Ireland itself and published last year.
That report highlighted that more and more people are turning their backs on cruel greyhound racing, with attendance at tracks around Ireland falling by 15,914 in the first two months of 2020 https://igb.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/indecon/independent-indecon-assessment-of-issues-arising-on-consultation-submissions-05.05.20.pdf
For example, in January and February 2020, numbers dropped by 7,232 (30%) and 8,682 (28%) respectively, compared to the same period the previous year.
Attendance at Shelbourne Park track in Dublin sustained a huge 36% drop in attendance in January 2020 – down by 2,168 to 3,752, compared to the same month in 2019. Attendance continued to fall at Shelbourne Park in February 2020 – compared to February 2019, it was down by 41% (3,730) to 5,240.
The authors of the Indecon report stated that the “greyhound industry is likely to experience a continued decline in attendance levels” and that the decline will “continue or accelerate”.
“The greyhound racing industry in Ireland has witnessed a significant decline in attendance over the last decade,” it stated. “While 1.1 million attended races in 2008, this fell by 55% to just over 0.5 million by 2018.”
Indecon made it clear that “the sector would NOT be financially sustainable if the decline in attendance continues and if the existing cost base is not reduced” and that the losses incurred have only been sustainable because of ongoing support from the state.
With a RED C opinion poll showing that a two-thirds majority in Ireland want the government to stop propping up greyhound racing with taxpayers’ money, and more than 400,000 signatures on petitions calling for the grants to be scrapped, the government must not hesitate to withdraw all support and finally let cruel greyhound racing die a death.
The latest annual report also showed that Greyhound Racing Ireland claimed more than €1.3 million in government wage subsidies last year. This was in addition to the €16.8 million state grant for 2020. This has been increased to €19.2 million in 2021 - the equivalent of €369,230 for every week of the year.
The wage subsidies came via the Covid Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (€741,631) and the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (€589,765).
Numbers employed by GRI last year dropped from 237 to 153 - a far cry from the thousands of jobs claimed by some pro-racing politicians - and racing revenues reduced from €22.99 million to just €8.13 million.
The GRI annual report can be downloaded from
https://grireland.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/annual-reports/rce-annual-report-2020.pdf
SEE ALSO
Greyhound board report shows €66,000 settlement with ex-employee (Irish Times article)
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/greyhound-board-report-shows-66-000-settlement-with-ex-employee-1.4606210
ACTION ALERT
Say NO to cruel greyhound racing – don’t attend races or fundraisers/stag and hen parties/office parties at greyhound tracks.
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.
Contact Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and demand an end to state funding for greyhound racing.
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
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
TELL SPONSORS TO STOP THEIR SPONSORSHIP.
Please get in contact with Glanbia and ask it to permanently end all sponsorship/support of greyhound racing.
Jim Bergin
CEO, Glanbia
Glanbia House,
Kilkenny, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (0)56-777 2200
Email: corporatecomms@glanbia.com, info@gainanimalnutrition.com
Tweet to: @GlanbiaPlc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAINpetnutrition/
Appeal to the Kerry Group (the company behind Pure sunflower/soya spread, Dairygold, LowLow, etc) to stop sponsoring greyhound racing.
Kerry Group
Phone: +353 (0)66 718 2000
Prince’s Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Email VIA: https://www.kerrygroup.com/help/contact-form/
Please sign and share petitions
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
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports
Watch RTE’s award-winning "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
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