Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn has called for urgent action on greyhound racing in Northern Ireland following moves to ban the practice in Scotland and Wales.
Councillor Flynn said:
“This week, both Scotland and Wales have voted to ban greyhound racing. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, we still have an unregulated industry operating without transparency or accountability.”
“There is no dedicated legislation governing greyhound racing here. There is no official data on injuries or deaths and no proper oversight from DAERA. We know from other jurisdictions that greyhounds are injured and killed on tracks every year. There is no reason to believe Northern Ireland is any different.”
“The DAERA Minister recently responded to my motion after Belfast City Council called for action on this unregulated industry. His response was that there isn’t time in this mandate and that it’s not a priority. That is simply not good enough.”
“An unregulated industry involving animals should be a major concern for the minister responsible for animal welfare. Delaying action until the next mandate risks more animals suffering.”
“The question is whether we follow the evidence and act, or continue to turn a blind eye while others take action.”
ENDS