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Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and his department have shamefully approved a €4.3 million redevelopment of Shelbourne Park stadium - a greyhound racing hellhole where attendance has plummetted in recent years.
Responding to a Dail Question from Neasa Hourigan TD (Dublin Central, Green Party), Minister McConalogue stated: "In 2018, conditional consent was granted for redevelopment works at Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium. Following on from a further submission by RCÉ [Greyhound Racing Ireland], in December 2023 my Department gave approval for RCÉ to proceed with the redevelopment works as provided for in the 2018 consent to include the proceeds held on deposit from the sale of Harold's Cross Stadium to partially fund the redevelopment which is estimated to cost in the region of €4.3 million." https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-02-28/94/
The €4.3 million cost is almost double a figure previously presented.
In 2021, we reported that Greyhound Racing Ireland had announced a €2.3 million plan for an “enhancement and improvement of facilities at Shelbourne Park”.
The cash injection has been approved despite a May 2020 Indecon report commissioned by Greyhound Racing Ireland showing that more and more people are staying away from greyhound tracks, including Shelbourne Park. And, according to the report, the “greyhound industry is likely to experience a continued decline in attendance levels”.
Shelbourne Park is one of the worst tracks in Ireland for greyhound injuries and deaths.
At least 301 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 84 died or were killed by a track vet over the past nine years alone, sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show. Among the victims are a greyhound who died at the track after suffering a “severe fracture of the neck”, another who collapsed and died with a “haemorrhage into the abdomen from a rupture of the aorta”, a greyhound who died of a heart attack after a race and another who was carried away bleeding with a leg bone “popped out”.
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports implored the Minister to intervene to stop the squandering of millions of euros at Shelbourne Park. We have renewed our appeal to him to reject an application for funds for Kilkenny track.
In his latest response to Neasa Hourigan TD, Minister McConalogue stated that he and his department are continuing to consider the "approval of a grant of €1 million towards the redevelopment of Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium".
“It would be the greatest insult to the many deserving sports/community/health/environmental groups in Kilkenny, and indeed in your own constituency, crying out for support, if funding was approved for this unpopular venue,” we stated, pointing to the low level of attendance at Kilkenny track.
Please join our appeal by responding to the action alert below.
SEE ALSO
€2.3 million plan to “enhance” Shelbourne Park track despite massive drop in attendance
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2021/03/15/e2-3-million-plan-to-enhance-shelbourne-park-track-despite-massive-drop-in-attendance/
Greyhound injuries and deaths at Shelbourne Park
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/02/09/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-shelbourne-park/
ACTION ALERT
Join us in urging Minister Charlie McConalogue to say NO to a one million euro grant to Kilkenny greyhound track and end the government’s funding of greyhound racing.
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: 01 618 3199 or 01 607 2000
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie; charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@McConalogue
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at greyhound tracks.
Urge the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to stop the funding and back a ban on 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/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leovaradkar/
Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
X: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eamondryan/
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryloumcdonaldsf/
Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivanabacik/
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