Greyhound racing 'very dependent' on State funding for prize money, minister's report finds

The report stresses that, while Greyhound Racing Ireland has made 'some progress' on the welfare agenda, 'more needs to be done'. Picture: Howard Crowdy

The welfare of racing greyhounds in Ireland is an “existential issue” for the industry here, according to a report commissioned by the minister for agriculture.

The report, carried out by consultants Indecon, notes that the greyhound industry is “very dependent” on State funding in terms of allocating prize money from race meets.

The report, which was commissioned last year by then minister Charlie McConalogue, was aimed at evaluating the department’s own governance and that of the two bodies in receipt of the annualised Horse and Greyhound Fund: Horse Racing Ireland and Greyhound Racing Ireland.

That fund, which has been enshrined in legislation since 2001, has delivered €99.1m to those two industries in both 2025 and 2026, with 80% of the money going to horseracing and the remainder to the greyhound industry.

Under the terms of the fund for 2025, stipulated by the Department of Agriculture, greyhound racing can allocate a maximum of 60% of its State funding towards prize money, and horseracing can use up to 80%.

At present, per the Indecon report, Greyhound Racing Ireland is “very dependent on the Horse and Greyhound Fund to fund prize moneys”, with 83% of prize money allocated via the State subvention.

While Horse Racing Ireland's percentage outlay of the funding received on prize money was lower at 61%, the report notes that, given the success of the Irish horseracing industry generally, “there could be an element of deadweight” in terms of the amount of money allocated to that end.

'Stronger public policy rationale'

The report notes that, notwithstanding the amount of State funding being spent on prize money, there is “a stronger public policy rationale” for funding of welfare and integrity programmes in the two sports, “given the public good features of the former and the risk of under-investment in these areas by the sector”.

It stresses that while Greyhound Racing Ireland has made “some progress” on the welfare agenda “more needs to be done”, adding that it would be “desirable” if targets were agreed with the department in terms of improving the sport’s welfare record.

A 2019 documentary by RTÉ alleged that as many as 6,000 Irish animals were being culled each year due to their not being fast enough.

Last year, the Irish Examiner revealed that 2,800 Irish racing greyhounds born in 2021 were either dead or unaccounted for just three years later, per Greyhound Racing Ireland's own traceability system that was introduced in the aftermath of the RTÉ investigation.

The report does also note that the department’s oversight of the two industry bodies is “robust”, with a good relationship existing between all concerned allied with “a healthy degree of tension”.