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.
The question raised by the Deputy on "Greyhound Racing Ireland's public consultation on artificial insemination in greyhounds" is an operational matter for RCÉ and therefore the question has been referred to that body for direct reply.
The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as the practice is provided for in legislation under the Artificial Insemination of Greyhound Regulations 2005.
The report of the Working Group on Control of Dogs, which was approved by Government in March 2023, and has been published online at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/publications/working-group-on-control-of-dogs/, includes a recommendation that surgical artificial insemination in canines be prohibited, where the word canine encompasses all breeds of dogs.
In 2024, my Department held a public consultation on whether the practice of carrying out surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds should be banned or not and the results of the public consultation are now available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/consultations/animal-welfare-strategy-2026-2030/
My Department is closely examining this issue and will be providing advice on an appropriate course of action in the near future.
