Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted €1.31 Billion (€1,312,904,981) of scarce public funds to horse racing, including €72.8 million for 2023. 

Join us in urging Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Finance Minister Michael McGrath to end state funding to this gambling activity which causes much suffering and death. Tell them to redirect the money to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.

Horse racing is responsible for an ever-growing number of painful injuries and deaths. Sickening Horse Racing Ireland statistics, obtained by Paul Murphy TD, show that a total of 1,166 horses have lost their lives at races in Ireland since 2012. At least 100 horses are known to have died during or after races around Ireland in 2021, plus over 30 so far this year. 

Horse Racing Ireland revealed the method of killing to be either lethal injection or a bullet in the head.

The fatality figures do not include the horses killed in training or those who do not make the grade and are destroyed behind-the-scenes.

Thousands of race horses have been slaughtered in Ireland. In reply to a Dail Question from Paul Murphy TD in March 2021, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue provided figures which show that from 2016 to 2020, a total of 12,074 thoroughbred horses were slaughtered at Department of Agriculture-approved facilities. Thousands more have been exported to the UK for slaughter – as revealed in the shocking BBC documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlpQhJFd5Bo

Irish horses are also being killed at races in the UK. Since 2014, at least 664 Irish horses have lost their lives at UK racecourses (113 in 2021). The victims include horses who suffered broken necks, horses destroyed after breaking legs and horses who collapsed with heart attacks during and after races

It’s time for the Irish Government to stop funding horse racing.

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
http://twitter.com/mmcgrathtd

Consider signing our other petition
 
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing

Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports