Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) warned the Government that rising welfare and rehoming costs were putting increasing strain on the industry despite a recovery in attendance and commercial income.
In a pre-budget submission, the sporting body also detailed how greyhound trainers and owners were facing significant “financial pressure” from a sharp rise in costs for feed, transport, and vet bills.
It said this was threatening the commercial viability of some and suggested the Department of Agriculture could step in with direct support or by cutting VAT.
The submission said this would help “alleviate [the] extraordinary cost increases” that were facing those in the sport.
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Greyhound Racing Ireland said as well that the rehoming of greyhounds, which were no longer racing, was becoming “particularly challenging.”
The submission said the number of dogs for whom new homes were found had fallen dramatically over the past five years.
In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, 2,234 greyhounds were rehomed, falling to 1,100 in 2024 and 595 in the first half of last year.
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GRI’s chief executive Tim Lucey said this did “not reflect a decrease in attention to this matter, nor in activity.”
He wrote: “In the greyhound industry our success in rehoming is also significantly challenged by activity levels and approaches of other jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain.
“[They all] operate in the international rehoming area, including in the USA, which was a particularly successful route for Irish rehomings.”
Mr Lucey said a rehoming operations and development manager had recently been appointed to work more closely with industry.
GRI added that extensive welfare activity was taking place through inspections and sampling. For the first six months of 2025, 95.2 per cent of welfare inspections and 99.3 per cent of samples taken were fully compliant.
The submission said attendance numbers for race meetings were strong with an “underlying base of customers.”
It said commercial activity remained steady and that the refurbishment of Shelbourne Park in Dublin would yield benefits for decades to come.
“Public confidence and support for the greyhound racing industry has been maintained through 2024 and into 2025, demonstrating why [GRI] is both confident and optimistic about the future of greyhound racing,” the submission added.
The organisation sought an additional €500,000 for stadium and equipment investment, €900,000 for its care and welfare programme and €350,000 for payroll costs.
However, funding for both horse and greyhound racing was unchanged in Budget 2026.
Asked about the records, a spokesperson said: “Greyhound Racing Ireland welcomes the continued support and investment provided by Government through the national budgetary process.
“Government investment enables GRI to progress its five-year strategic plan, which has the support of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and which is designed to underpin the long-term future of the industry.”
