Greyhound Racing Ireland paid out over a quarter of a million euros to privately operated tracks around the country last year.
The whopping payments from taxpayer-funded GRI to the five private tracks ranged from €42,000 to nearly €81,000 each.
The sickening details came to light following a Dail Question from People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy who asked the Minister for Agriculture for "a breakdown of the grants paid by Greyhound Racing Ireland to private tracks in 2022, the names of the tracks; the amounts granted; and the purpose of the payments".
Charlie McConalogue - who has doled out tens of millions of euros to greyhound racing since becoming Agriculture Minister - did not provide the answer, instead referring the question to Greyhound Racing Ireland.
In a direct reply to Deputy Murphy, GRI revealed the extent of the pay-outs.
Clonmel track - €44,071.23
Dundalk track - €42,859.65
Enniscorthy track - €62,996.08
Kilkenny track - €64,375
Thurles track - €80,794.69
TOTAL €295,096.65
The money handed over covered operating grants (€200,000), veterinary fees (€63,334.65), covid support (€20,000), sales grants (€7,500) and track surface/systems maintenance (€4,262). See below for more details.
There is growing outrage at the granting of millions of euros of scarce public funds to greyhound racing. Since 2001, successive governments have shamefully given €328 million to Greyhound Racing Ireland, with €19,000,000 more allocated in Budget 2024. Meanwhile, health charities, schools, community groups, sports clubs, environmental projects and animal rescue centres cry out for funds.
ACTION ALERT
The government's latest €95 million allocation to horse and greyhound racing will be voted on in November or December. Please contact TDs and urge them to VOTE AGAINST the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2023. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Tanaiste Micheal Martin and demand an end to state funding to horse racing and greyhound racing. 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 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
Contact the leaders of the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour and urge them to vote against the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2023.
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
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
2022 €70,400,000
2023 €72,800,000
TOTAL: €1,312,904,981
(€1.31 Billion)
+ €76,000,000 for 2024
(allocated in Budget 2024)
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
2022 €17,600,000
2023 €18,200,000
TOTAL: €328,166,146 (€328.1 million)
+ €19,000,000 for 2024
(allocated in Budget 2024)
Source: Department of Agriculture
SEE ALSO
Greyhound injuries and deaths at Irish greyhound tracks
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-irish-greyhound-tracks/
Budget 2024: Another €19 million allocated to cruel greyhound racing
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/10/13/budget-2024-another-e19-million-allocated-to-cruel-greyhound-racing/
TDs Niall Collins, John McGuinness, Mattie McGrath and John Paul Phelan pushing for €1 million grant to Kilkenny greyhound track
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/10/15/john-paul-phelan-td-pushing-for-e1-million-grant-to-greyhound-track/
Clonmel greyhound track’s massive debt “wiped out” by taxpayer-funded GRI
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/01/21/clonmel-greyhound-tracks-massive-debt-wiped-out-by-taxpayer-funded-gri/
GRI pumps €763,903 into greyhound track with average attendance of 18
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/05/04/gri-pumps-e763903-into-greyhound-track-with-average-attendance-of-18/
GRI grants to private tracks 2022
(Source: Greyhound Racing Ireland)
Clonmel
Operating grant: €30,000
Sales grant: –
Covid support: €4,000
Surface/systems maintenance: €271.23
Vet fees: €9,800
Combined: €44,071.23
Dundalk
Operating grant: €30,000
Sales grant: –
Covid support: €4,000
Surface/systems maintenance: –
Vet fees: €8,859.65
Combined: €42,859.65
Enniscorthy
Operating grant: €40,000
Sales grant: –
Covid support: €4,000
Surface/systems maintenance: €3,496.08
Vet fees: €15,500
Combined: €62,996.08
Kilkenny
Operating grant: €40,000
Sales grant: –
Covid support: €4,000
Surface/systems maintenance: –
Vet fees: €20,375
Combined: €64,375
Thurles
Operating grant: €60,000
Sales grant: €7,500
Covid support: €4,000
Surface/systems maintenance: €494.69
Vet fees: €8,800
Combined: €80,794.69
TOTAL €295,096.65