Minister hints greyhound report may face delays
Mr O’Donoghue told the Dáil he could not say when Tim Dalton, the former secretary general in the Department of Justice, will report back to him.
Initially, his department said Mr Dalton would report back within weeks but it is believed the scope is wider and issues more complex than envisaged.
Mr Dalton is carrying out an independent assessment of the circumstances behind the sacking of Bord na gCon chief executive Aidan Tynan and the board’s decision last year not to publicise two positive findings for the banned blood-booster EPO in greyhounds.
Mr O’Donoghue, however, left open the possibility that Mr Dalton’s report will be debated in the Dáil. He was responding to Green Party leader Trevor Sargent, who also contended there was a clear bias towards horse and dog racing in the Government’s priorities.
“Dogs, horses and fat cats are healthier under this Government than ordinary men, women and children, given that €1 out of every €3 spent on sport was spent on horses and greyhounds,” Mr Sargent said.
It is understood that the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism did ask the board of the greyhound industry to put some decisions on hold pending the outcome of the inquiry.
However, a spokesman refused to comment on whether or not the minister has asked Bord na gCon to delay its appointment of a new chief executive. The position was advertised shortly after Mr Tynan was fired last month. Mr Tynan accepted a severance package from the board.
