Danny Healy-Rae Defends Kerry Greyhound Owners and Welfare Funding
Danny Healy-Rae spoke on behalf of Kerry greyhound owners, defending payments and welfare support for greyhounds and rejecting claims that such funding is wrong. He supported the government money to compensate for lost gate receipts and returns this year because of the coronavirus.
Advocacy for greyhound owners
He argued that owners love their dogs and are entitled to their sport, saying it is wrong to condemn payments to them. He rebutted an RTE claim that 6,000 dogs were destroyed and insisted many owners actively rehome and care for retired greyhounds.
Examples of care and rehoming
He cited a father and two sons who between them rehomed 35 old dogs, keeping them warm, fed and well looked after. He listed greyhound care centres in Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, Belfast and Dublin and noted demand for retired greyhounds abroad in Montreal, the USA and mainland Europe.
Welfare funding and betting contributions
He outlined existing welfare measures including a care fund for injuries and welfare, 10% of admission fees for welfare and 5% of the totes to every registered dog. He argued that owners pay into betting taxes and that more of those revenues should be returned to the sport and to greyhound welfare.
Support for pandemic compensation
He confirmed his support for the government money provided to make up for large gate receipts and returns not received this year because of the coronavirus, then moved on to the next matter.
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I'm glad to get an opportunity to talk here on behalf of the Greyhound owners in Kerry who actually love their dogs, to their culture, to their sport and they're entitled to have it like everyone else. To say that this money is wrong or it is wrong to give to them, that's totally wrong because these people deserve and are entitled to their sport. And just to let you know, the RTE said that 6,000 dogs were destroyed, that's wrong because I'll give you an instance of a father and two sons, between them they have 35 old dogs rehomed by themselves and they're singing after them and they have hot floors and bed them and feed them and keep them right. And then there's a care fund for injuries and welfare and 10% of admission fees go towards that, 5% of the totes to every dog that's registered for welfare. Greyhound care, we have greyhound care, we have greyhound care centres in Kerry, Tipperary, Limerick, Cork Care, Belfast and Dublin. So, and there's a demand for the old greyhounds abroad in places like Montreal, in places like the USA and in mainland Europe, there's a demand for the old dogs for people to take them as pets. And they have not been destroyed in the way, and I have to say, these people are paying their way in the betting taxes that they pay every night, the little bit that they bet. And a lot of that money is going to central phones for the phone and other things, and it should be going towards them. And I do not, I support the money that the government gave to make up for large gate receipts and returns that they didn't get this year because of the coronavirus. I'm moving on, Deputy, thank you. I'm moving.
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