Every year, Greyhound Racing Ireland is allowed to get away with murder - literally, the murder of greyhounds. Huge numbers are dying or being injured on tracks. Greyhound Racing Ireland is handed millions of euro in taxpayers' money, with no accountability, transparency or business plan and with countless signs that it does not have any interest in spending taxpayers' money wisely or sustainably. It does not appear to have any interest in ensuring that greyhounds are treated humanely. There are significant concerns about abuse in the industry, particularly with regard to breeding practices. It is becoming increasingly clear that Greyhound Racing Ireland's business model is nonsensical, with its transparency register completely failing to serve its purpose. Extensive research outlines that the stated figures underpinning Greyhound Racing Ireland's public image are only half-truths, if not pure fabrications, including the number of living greyhounds in the industry, the number of deaths, the economic importance of the industry and its commercial ability to sustain itself without complete reliance on the public purse.

The reality is that this is an industry built on deceit and abuse - deceit of the taxpayer and abuse of animals. To that end, we need to apply real scrutiny to the guarantee of State funding for that organisation and undertake a review of how it spent the money in the past. It is absurd to think that every year, we do not expect a single shred of transparency or accountability from Greyhound Racing Ireland before handing it millions of euro. This lack of fiscal responsibility would not be tolerated in any other area. There was rightful uproar over the wasteful spending on the bike shed but when it comes to Greyhound Racing Ireland, the State is happy to pour money into a black hole. If Greyhound Racing Ireland sincerely believes it deserves State funding, it needs to prove to the Oireachtas that it will use that funding efficiently and transparently, and without animal cruelty.