Written answer
Hare Coursing
The Minister said the Irish Coursing Club controls publication of its 2022 economic report, which estimates the sector contributes €70.7 million annually.
297. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a report referred to in a debate (details supplied) will be released publicly. [66121/26]
Comment on this
Coursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann; hare coursing is managed and regulated by the Irish Coursing Club. The organisation consists of 89 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom are governed by the ICC’s rules and regulations. The ICC does not receive any direct funding from my Department.
The ICC has provided my Department with an independent report that it commissioned in 2022 by Jim Power Economics entitled The Economic and Financial Contribution of the Coursing Sector. The report estimated that the coursing sector contributes approximately €70.7 million annually to the Irish economy, the majority of which directly benefits rural communities.
The publication and release of this report is a matter for the Irish Coursing Club.