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Updated 8 hours ago
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS TD Holly Cairns has invited Greyhound Racing Ireland board member who wrote online that she was “an ignorant child” to a debate about the industry.
Speaking at the Dáil today, Cairns said he wanted to leave on the house search that “there is no excuse” for such comments.
Wayne McCarthy, who sent the tweet, is a board member of the state organization and has since he apologized for his comments.
Fine Gael TD Joe Carey liked the tweet and has also offered his “sincerest apologies” to Cairns for doing so.
Speaking today at the Dáil, Cairns did not want to “use their speaking time” at the Dáil to address “this everyday sexism,” but it cannot be ignored.
“As the only TD woman in the entire city and county of Cork, I feel the need to address the sexism we are all used to. I feel the need to put on record that a member of the board of a state organization, in 2020, spoke of a woman elected in that way. And I feel the need to say that there can be no excuse for this because there is no excuse, ”he said.
This house must send a clear message to everyone that there must be zero tolerance for sexism. The Irish Greyhound Board member also claimed that my comments were ‘waffle’. I would like to record that none of my comments was waffle, quite the opposite.
“So I would like to take this opportunity to invite this member of the Irish Greyhound Board to participate in a discussion of the facts that I have raised in relation to the greyhound racing industry. The viability of the industry, the animal welfare issues associated with the industry, the public’s concern about its state funding. I am sure that a national broadcaster will be happy to facilitate it and I will be happy to organize it. ”
Speaking to reporters earlier today, Cairns said he accepted the apology from Fine Gael’s TD who liked the tweet.
“I accept the apology, but we need this to be denormalized, it is dehumanizing and absolutely unacceptable,” he said, adding:
The reality is that women in Ireland have become accustomed to this type of gender comment and sometimes find it easy to ignore it, however if we continue to ignore it we allow a culture that facilitates this type of comment, which is absolutely unacceptable.
I liked a tweet that was disrespectful to one of my fellow TDs. I shouldn’t have. It was wrong and I offer my sincerest apologies to @HollyCairnsTD
– Joe Carey TD (@joecareytd) November 30, 2020
Last week, a motion by private members of the TD Social Democrats seeking to prevent an increase in funding of 2.4 million euros for the greyhound industry was rejected.
Today, the Dáil is again debating the funding of the greyhound industry as part of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. The government’s proposal would see that just over € 76 million would go to Horse Racing Ireland and € 19.2 million to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (Greyhound Racing Ireland).
Opening today’s debate, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said that both industries “make a significant and valuable contribution to our economy.”
“It is estimated that the thoroughbred industry has an annual economic impact of 1,900 million euros, with direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people, while the greyhound sector provides an estimated economic benefit to 12,000 people,” said the minister.
Successive governments have recognized the importance of these industries and supported them through legislative and policy initiatives. Support provided by public funds through investment in these industries has enabled Ireland to develop a world-class reputation for excellence in horse racing, greyhound racing and breeding.
In response to the minister, Cairns said there was “extraordinary public support” for ending state funding of the industry.
“The industry receives extraordinary sums of money from the public purse while raising 6,000 dogs a year to kill them. The vast majority of the general public cannot understand why the government continues to blatantly ignore common sense on this issue, ”he said.
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In a statement to TheJournal.ie Last week before the Dáil debate, Rásíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) said that the care and well-being of greyhounds is his priority focus.
“Poor welfare standards have no place in the greyhound industry. The targeting of resources in this area has been reflected in the increasing number of wellness inspections with 615 inspections carried out in 2019, resulting in 16 fixed pay notices and 6 wellness notices under the Welfare Act for the Greyhounds of 2011, ”he said.
“Doping and the misuse of drugs are an unacceptable practice that, unfortunately, has been evident in most sports codes. RCÉ processed 5,702 greyhound samples in the national greyhound laboratory during 2019.
“These samples were randomly taken at race meetings, sales events, owner and coach kennels, and out-of-competition trials. 15 samples gave an adverse analytical result representing a rate of 0.3%. “
He said the estimated spending on “integrity, regulation and welfare” in 2020 will be about 3.2 million euros.
“Greyhound racing has been a part of Ireland’s culture and heritage for over 90 years and we hope that this national sport will continue to be a part of activity in rural and urban Ireland for many years to come,” the statement concluded. .
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