Greyhound racing in Ireland will continue.
Responding to a Dáil question, Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said he does not intend to ban greyhound racing.
Ruth Coppinger, Solidarity TD, has raised the issue of how the Department’s animal welfare strategy is progressing and referenced the intention of the Welsh and Scottish government to ban greyhound racing
She said, “I draw his attention to the fact that two countries, Wales and Scotland, have this week banned greyhound racing. Ireland is now going to be a complete and utter outlier. In banning it in Scotland, it will be an offence to set up a racetrack or for a dog owner to race a dog on one. The proponent of the motion said greyhound racing belonged in the past. The international consensus is to ban it. In Wales, it will come into force by 2030. Is it not time for us to transition out of greyhound racing?”
Wales and Scotland
The Senedd, (Welsh parliament) recently voted to bring in a ban on greyhound racing in Wales. Thirty-nine Senedd members supported the motion, with ten members voting against.
Under the proposed Welsh legislation the earliest greyhound racing would be banned is April 2027 and the latest April 2030.
There is only one greyhound racing track in Wales – Valley Greyhounds in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly county.
Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom was also dealt another blow, when following the Welsh ban, the Scottish parliament voted to outlaw greyhound racing.
On the 18th March, 70 members of the Scottish Parliament voted for Mark Ruskell MSP’s Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill. 27 voted against and there were 19 abstentions.
The bill makes it an offence to allow a greyhound to compete on an oval racetrack in Scotland. Anyone who contravenes this will face a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to £20,000.
While there are no active greyhound racing tracks remaining in Scotland, Thornton Stadium in Fife closed last year and brought down the flag on greyhound racing in the country, the passing of the bill will prevent any from possibly reopening in the future.
Irish, UK and international animal welfare organisations welcomed the proposed ban and vowed to continue the worldwide campaign to consign greyhound racing to the sporting archive.
Ireland Going Backwards
Deputy Coppinger expressed the view the Ireland is “going backwards on animal rights in this country when Wales and Scotland, two countries we have close ties with and to which we are aligned culturally, are banning it while the Minister is doubling down on maintaining it?
“Dogs Trust Ireland, not a radical socialist organisation by any means, has pointed out that 869 dogs have died on racetracks in the last six years and that 2,343 have been injured.
“Racing at speed on oval tracks is dangerous for dogs in extreme weather. They have poor diet, very little enrichment in their lives and very little traceability. That has been pointed out by Dogs Trust Ireland, which tries to work with the greyhound industry. This is an industry that is being propped up by the State.”
Replying Mr Heydon said, “I disagree with some of the points she made, which are a dreadful slight on the thousands of people who work in our greyhound racing industry and who love the dogs and care for them greatly.”
The Minister said that additional funding has been allocated to animal welfare in Ireland and that a recent public consultation on animal welfare received more than 1,750 submissions. These views will be inputted into an animal welfare strategy that the Department of will be publish shortly. In addition, a “new independently chaired advisory council on companion animal welfare” will be established.
In June 2025, the control and welfare of canines was brought under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.
Government Funding
The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001. Payments are made from the Fund to Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ).
Budget 2026, allocated €99.1 million for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. This was distributed in accordance with Section 12(6) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, with 80% or €79.3 million going to HRI, and 20%, equating to €19.8 million to RCÉ.
Commercial greyhound racing is in decline worldwide as many countries move to close down the greyhound industry. Countries that still operate greyhound racing include Ireland, the USA, Mexico and Vietnam.
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