Limerick TD expresses concern about portrayal of greyhound racing in schools

THREE TDs, including one from Limerick, have raised the portrayal of the greyhound industry in a secondary school book, in the Dail.

Minister of State Niall Collins, and Deputies Michael and Danny Healy Rae tabled questions to the Minister for Education Norma Foley regarding a page in a Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) book.

Under the heading “Gone to the dogs” it says, “Greyhound racing is legal in Ireland. The dogs seem to enjoy the chase, and they come to no harm if they are looked after properly. Most racing greyhounds are well cared for but some are not”.

The students are asked to write solutions to “problems” in greyhound racing. One of which is “Greyhounds bred in Ireland have green tattoo marks in both ears to identify them. Some owners cut off the dogs’ ears when they abandon them so they cannot be identified”.

Another “problem” is “unsuccessful greyhounds are sometimes abandoned or even put down” and “when some greyhounds become too old to race they are abandoned or put down”.

Students are asked to write an email or letter to the Ministers for Agriculture and Sport suggesting some actions the Irish government can take to “protect the welfare of greyhounds in Ireland”.

Minister Collins said he was contacted by a number of people involved in the greyhound  industry who were upset and concerned by this.

“I share their concern. I’d call on Folens, publishers of the book, to engage with the greyhound industry. Clearly animal welfare practices within the greyhound industry have hugely improved in the last number of years and it is unfair to taint the reputation of the vast majority of greyhound owners.

“Clearly that school book is completely biased and misrepresents the people and the industry,” said Minister Collins, who in his Dail question asked the minister for education if her department “deems the content of the CSPE school book appropriate?”.

At the end of a lengthy reply, Minister Foley says her department does not “approve or review the content of textbooks published by private companies, as this may be seen as an indication of approval for their use in schools.

“Any concerns regarding material published in textbooks should be raised with the publisher themselves”.

Folens had not responded to a media query from the Limerick Leader.

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