Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 9 September 2024
1236. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he agrees that laws should be passed to ensure that all horses and greyhounds are rehomed when their racing careers are over. [34272/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion, and development of the horse racing industry.
HRI provides funding to a number of organisations which seek to support the rehoming and retraining of thoroughbreds no longer active in racing including TreoEile.com – a new digital platform connecting racehorse owners with those seeking to rehome/retrain ex-racehorses for new careers. TreoEile has established a series of classes for showing of ex-racehorses, a series of clinics to upskill those retraining ex-racehorses and has worked on the digital platform to ensure that opportunities for ex-racehorses are optimised. HRI also provides funding to the Irish Horse Welfare Trust which was established in 1999 to provide a dedicated centre that is equipped for dealing with the rehabilitation and re-homing of equines.
Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
RCÉ has several initiatives to rehome retired greyhounds. It financially incentivises the rehoming of greyhounds in Ireland through the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust (IRGT). Financial supports are also provided by RCÉ to qualifying private rehoming organisations and it also supports retired greyhounds in the USA and Canada through Greyhound Pets of America (GPA), finding Loving Irish Greyhounds Homes Together (FLIGHT) and Flying Irish Greyhounds.
The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 underpins efforts in these areas and provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the areas of animal health and welfare. Ongoing enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 will continue to contribute positively to outcomes for horses and greyhounds when their racing careers come to an end. It is important to note that RCÉ and HRI operate in accordance with the regulatory framework and that welfare is always at the forefront. I have no plans at present to alter this arrangement.
