Tim Lucey 'did not state that any number of deaths was acceptable', says Greyhound Racing Ireland

The greyhound industry in Ireland has found itself in the spotlight once more on the back of bans on the sport being ratified in both Scotland and Wales in recent weeks. File picture: INPHO/Nick Elliott

Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) has moved to clarify comments made by its chief executive about the culling of 3,000 dogs in a year, which led to condemnation by animal rights campaigners.

Tim Lucey was responding to questions from RTÉ on Tuesday about whether or not mass culling of greyhounds in Ireland is still an occurrence. 

“There is a level of putting them to sleep on humane grounds. But the figure is not 6,000, it's under half of that now," he said.

The 6,000 figure Mr Lucey referred to was first posited in an RTÉ documentary in 2019 — titled Running For Their Lives — which alleged that at least that number of animals were being killed within the industry each year due to their not being fast enough.

After Mr Lucey's comments were criticised by animal rights campaigners, who say that 3,000 is still a huge number of culled animals, a GRI spokesperson clarified that he "did not at any time state that any number of deaths was acceptable”.

“It acknowledges that deaths occur for many reasons, including disease and accidents,” they said.

“Greyhounds are the only breed of dog that has full traceability in Ireland. Other breeds of dog are microchipped, but that is often the last record that exists of them,” the spokesperson said, adding that GRI would “welcome a full traceability system for all breeds of dogs in line with that which currently exists for greyhounds”.

Addressing Mr Lucey’s comments, Nuala Donlon, spokesperson for advocacy body Greyhound Action Ireland, said that the acknowledgement of thousands of deaths “confirms what those of us familiar with the harsh reality of the Irish greyhound industry already know”.

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“The continued public funding of this industry amounts to State-sponsored cruelty to dogs on an industrial scale, and it must be stopped,” she added.

The greyhound industry in Ireland has found itself in the spotlight once more on the back of bans on the sport being ratified in both Scotland and Wales in recent weeks.

Ireland is now one of only four countries worldwide where greyhound racing is legal, together with parts of the US, England, and Australia.

Greyhound racing in Ireland receives ring-fenced funding from the exchequer each year as part of the annual Horse and Greyhound Fund. In 2026, that funding figure will total €19.82m.

Agriculture minister Martin Heydon ruled out a ban on the sport when it was suggested by opposition TDs.