Legal wrangling delays publication of greyhound doping report

PUBLICATION of the long-awaited report on the divisive row over blood doping in the greyhound industry has been further delayed because of legal difficulties.

The final report was handed to Sports Minister John O’Donoghue last week but will not be discussed at Cabinet today.

A spokesman for the minister said yesterday that the final report is now being examined by the Attorney General Rory Brady and is unlikely to be published immediately.

The row erupted last January when the chief executive of Bord na gCon, Aidan Tynan, wrote to the minister informing him that the control committee of the board had suppressed the publication of two positive findings of the banned blood booster EPO.

At the board meeting the following week, the board, led by chairman Pascal Taggart, sacked Mr Tynan.

Mr O’Donoghue appointed the former secretary-general of the Department of Justice, Tim Dalton, to carry out the report into the circumstances that led to Mr Tynan’s dismissal.

Having completed his report in April, he invited submissions on his findings from the principal players, including Mr Taggart and Mr Tynan. Those submissions were received on May 31 and the final report was completed early last week.

After the controversy broke, some players, principally Mr Taggart, have spoken out to defend their positions, despite repeated pleas by the minister to desist from comment. This has been perceived as a challenge to Mr O’Donoghue’s authority, giving rise to the perception he will take decisive action on foot of the report’s findings.

There have been some suggestions in political circles that Mr Taggart’s comments may undermine his position.

However, the minister has given no indication of what actions he intends to take in relation to the chairman, who has announced he will be standing down next year.