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Greyhound Racing Ireland suffered a massive drop in profits last year, its latest annual report reveals.
The 2022 report, published this month, shows a pre-tax profit of just €1.08 million - that's 63% less than the 2021 figure of €2.94 million.
The report also confirms falls in the number of greyhound races, race meetings, greyhound entries and greyhound rehomings in 2022.
Despite this, Greyhound Racing Ireland is laughably claiming that "2022 was a positive year for Rásaíocht Con Éireann from a greyhound racing perspective".
In reality, GRI saw:
• A major drop in the number of races - from 15,533 in 2021 to 14,299 in 2022,
• A drop in the number of race meetings - from 1,384 in 2021 to 1,358 in 2022 and
• A substantial 7,800 (8.5%) decline in the "number of greyhound entries" - from 91,778 in 2021 to 83,978 in 2022.
Also down is the number of greyhounds reportedly rehomed via GRI's Irish Retired Greyhound Trust. According to GRI, 2,234 greyhounds were rehomed in 2021 but in 2022, this fell by nearly 20% to just 1,808 rehomings. These figures cover only a fraction of the number of greyhounds exiting racing, with an estimated 6,000 killed behind the scenes each year because they are not fast enough to win.
Also down is the "prize money contributions from owners & sponsors", falling by more than 20% from €1.86 million in 2021 to €1.47 million in 2022. This did not stop GRI from increasing the total prizemoney for the year to €8.3 million.
GRI covered 82% of this total (an increase from 77% in 2021). It states in its report that "prize money contributions account for 39% of the total allocation to GRI from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund". This means that €6,828,973 of the €17,600,000 in taxpayers' money handed over to GRI in 2022 was paid out as prizemoney to greyhound owners and trainers.
There were also dramatic increases in "legal & professional fees" - they skyrocketed from €494,069 in 2021 to €975,662 in 2022. Board salaries and expenses also rose to €112,959 (from €65,082 in 2021).
The annual report reveals that GRI is continuing to pay out huge sums of money to private tracks. This "grant assistance" amounted to €344,697 in 2022.
Read the annual report at
https://www.grireland.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/annual-reports/rasaiocht-con-eireann-annual-report-2022.pdf
ACTION ALERT
Don’t attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties held at greyhound tracks.
Join us in demanding an end to the Irish Government’s massive grants to greyhound racing – more than €328 million handed over since 2001, including €19.2 million for 2021, €17.6 million for 2022 and €18.2 million for 2023. Contact the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Finance Minister now.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +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
Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
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
Michael McGrath TD
Minister for Finance
Email: michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
http://www.facebook.com/michael.mcgrath.1614
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mmcgrathtd
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
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
Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/
Please sign and share the petitions
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound “industry”
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
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
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM