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“Exclusion orders” issued by Greyhound Racing Ireland don't prevent greyhounds owned by excluded individuals from being entered into races, it has emerged.

The astounding revelation came to light further to Dail Questions from Brid Smith TD. The Solidarity-People Before Profit TD asked the Minister for Agriculture about “the processes Greyhound Racing Ireland has in place to ensure exclusion and/or banning orders are fully implemented and that those individuals who are the subject of same are prevented from attending greyhound tracks and/or racing dogs".

In a follow-up question, she asked “if allowing a named individual to enter a dog in a greyhound race in Shelbourne Park on 20 January 2023, while the individual is the subject of an exclusion order imposed by Rásaíocht Con Éireann [Greyhound Racing Ireland] for multiple serious doping offences, undermines the integrity of the greyhound industry”.

The question related to greyhound trainer Laurence Jones who was served with an exclusion order from 1st July 2022. Dogs owned by Jones continued to be entered into races in July, August, September, October, November and December 2022 and in January and February of this year. 

In a response issued from the office of Greyhound Racing Ireland's interim CEO, Deputy Smith was told that exclusion orders do not extend to greyhound ownership.

The GRI spokesperson stated: “In response to your parliamentary question regarding Mr. Laurence Jones, the Terms of the Exclusion Order are as follows: An Exclusion Order issued pursuant to Section 47 of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, prohibits the subject of such an Order: Being on any greyhound track, Being at any authorised coursing meeting, Being at any public sale of greyhounds.”
 
“The decision imposed by the Independent Control Committee, in addition to the fine imposed, does not affect Mr Laurence Jones' right to own greyhounds or any other dogs for that matter,” the spokesperson added. “Furthermore, as an 'excluded person', Mr. Laurence Jones is additionally not enabled to train greyhounds for reward pursuant to the Trainers Regulations.”

So while the so-called “exclusion” order prohibits an excluded person from training greyhounds for racing, greyhounds owned by that person can still be used in racing.

In the case of Laurence Jones (of Corduff, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan), he was issued with an exclusion order after four greyhounds tested positive for prohibited substances “that can raise serious issues for the greyhound industry”.

He was fined €5,500 after appearing before a Greyhound Racing Ireland Control Committee. 

The committee issued an Exclusion Order which was “effective from and including the 1st day of July 2022”, with no end date specified. It is unknown if or when the “exclusion order” was revoked.

The Control Committee’s August 2022 report revealed that:

6a-Hydroxystanozolol was detected in greyhound Gut Feeling at Shelbourne Park Stadium on 15th August, 2020 where he finished last in the “2020 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby Round 1 Heat 14” race. The same substance was found in the greyhound at Jones’ registered kennels three months later on 16th November, 2020.

6a-Hydroxystanozolol was also detected in the Laurence Jones-trained greyhound Duck And Dive at Shelbourne Park Stadium on 5th September 2020 and 10th October 2020 and also at Jones’ registered kennels on 16th November 2020.

6a-Hydroxystanozolol was also detected in greyhound Fort Light at Jones’ registered kennels on 16th November 2020.

19-Norepiandrosterone and 19-Norethiocholanolone were detected in Darsup (a greyhound used in hare coursing) at Jones’ registered kennels on 16th November 2020.

At the virtual hearing, the Control Committee commented that it was “conscious that the substances detected were very significant substances that can raise serious issues for the greyhound industry as well as for the individual involved” and went on to say that “having considered all of the evidence tendered in relation to these matters noted there were seven cases before it involving one person and the Committee had to deal with these matters in a way that respected proportionality”. https://www.grireland.ie/globalassets/rescource-centre/reports/control/august-2022.pdf#page=2

The Control Committee imposed the following fines on Laurence Jones:

€1,500 in relation to the detection of 6a-Hydroxystanozolol in Gut Feeling at Shelbourne Park on 15th August 2020, with the prizemoney of €20 forfeited. It said that “the subsequent Adverse Analytical Finding reported from this greyhound on the 16th of November, 2020 was taken into consideration in the making of the fine of €1,500”.

€1,500 in relation to the detection of 6a-Hydroxystanozolol in Duck And Dive at Shelbourne Park on 5th September 2020. It said that “the subsequent Adverse Analytical Findings reported from this greyhound on 10th October 2020 and on 16th November 2020 were taken into consideration in the making of the fine of €1,500”. Race prizemoney of €75 and €20 was forfeited.

€1,500 in relation to the detection of 6a-Hydroxystanozolol in Fort Light at Jones’s kennels on 16th November 2020.

€1,000 in relation to the detection of 19-Norepiandrosterone and 19-Norethiocholanolone in Darsup at Jones’s kennels on 16th November 2020.

Since 1 July 2022, greyhounds owned by Laurence Jones have continued to appear in races at Greyhound Racing Ireland tracks.

The 20 January 2023 race mentioned in Brid Smith's Dail Question was the “2023 Dublin Cup A2/A3 525 Round 2 Heat 1” at Shelbourne Park which was won by the Laurence Jones-owned greyhound Foggy Bottom. In the Dublin Cup final on 3 February 2023, Foggy Bottom came first in the €6,000-to-the-winner race. 

The Greyhound Racing Ireland website shows that Laurence Jones has entered greyhounds into 1,682 races, with 341 race wins. This includes 20 race entries and 6 winners in 2023.

Other “recently raced greyhounds currently owned by Laurence Jones” are listed as: Asgoodasa, Corduff Captain, Corduff Man, Credit Card, Farney Chime, Fernisky Sky, Glasgow Gael, Hail Fellow, Potato Man, Sarsfields Lad, Sugar Flame, Tactical Take, Well Met, Whiskey Jack and Foggy Bottom.

Greyhounds previously listed as being owned by Jones - Forgotten King, Move It Molly, Show Boy  - have been exported to the UK. Another greyhound -  Tied The Knot – is listed on the GRI website as “EXPORT-INTERNATIONAL”

Following the 15th August 2020 test at Shelbourne Park, Gut Feeling has not been used in races. He was trialled at Dundalk track on 13 October 2020, 25 May 2021 and 9 September 2021 and there are no further details on him.

Duck And Dive has not been used in racing since the 10 October 2020 test at Shelbourne Park. He was last seen in a trial at Dundalk track on 9 September 2021.

A page for Fort Light has been removed from the Greyhound Racing Ireland website. It listed the dog’s owner as “Mr Brian Mann”.

Greyhound Darsup was used in hare coursing. A report in the Dundalk Democrat (30 December 2019) outlined how the dog – trained by Laurence Jones and “owned by the Wexford-born, Cavan-based Tom Walsh” – was used at the Dundalk & Dowdallshill coursing meeting in December 2019. She was also trialled at Longford, Shelbourne Park and Dundalk tracks in March 2020.

Gut Feeling, Duck And Dive, Fort Light and Darsup are among a growing list of greyhounds who have tested positive for prohibited substances around Ireland.

ACTION ALERT

Don’t go greyhound racing. Please join us in urging the government to STOP the massive grants that are propping up this cruel, dog-killing gambling activity. Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received €309 million in funding, including €19.2 million for 2021, €17.6 million for 2022 and €18.2 million for 2023. 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 3000
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Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
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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
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Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
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