Trainer hits backon calls to ban greyhound racing

Meath Greyhound trainer, Ian Reilly has responded to calls for a ban on greyhound racing in Ireland.

“There are over 4,000 people in Ireland employed by the greyhound industry and it is worth €133 million to the economy, which is a serious return on the investment that the Government put into the sport. The majority of the €20 million that is allocated goes towards welfare and administration. The dogs are provided with the best of facilities and the tracks have improved greatly over the years because of that funding.” he said.

Reilly was responding to the calls by the Social Democrat's Jennifer Whitmore to ban the sport and to stop the allocation of government funding to it.

Navan-based trainer, Reilly has 30 greyhounds under his care at the moment. His father Danny was a trainer before him and he still has a few shares in dogs at Reilly's yard.

“Welfare is the main priority now and the surface on the tracks is incredible. The sport has come a long way”.

“The dogs are tested regularly now as well. The testers come out and can pick out any dog they want. There are over 2,000 tests carried out yearly on dogs. There was not that level of testing done years ago, so it is a fantastic thing that they have ramped that up. We would have them out regularly enough and if you get a low mark in the testing, you are in trouble. They have really weeded out all the bad eggs,” he said.

Shelbourne Park has experienced protests from Animal Welfare activists for quite some time now but Reilly spoke about how the improvements in facilities inside the tracks themselves have led to a warmer atmosphere for the patrons and a safer environment for the dogs at the races.

“All these dogs want to do is race. On race day, there is carnage in the kennels to get out and get into the van. They do be raring to go and they love what they do. They are bred to run”.

In her statement Deputy Whitmore said that for years, the Social Democrats have been calling for the phasing out of annual State funding to the greyhound industry, which was allocated almost €20 million in the last Budget.

“Only for it being propped up by the taxpayer, the greyhound sector would be a financial basket case and unable to survive from its own resources, largely due to dwindling attendances at race meetings around the country,” the Wicklow TD said.

“While of course there are breeders and trainers who care for their dogs, they are operating within a sector where animal abuse, cruelty, injuries, fatalities, overbreeding and culls are common.”