To: The Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Rásaíocht Con Éireann (GRI), and Cork East Representatives, Cork County Council, Local TD's.

End State Subsidies for Youghal Greyhound Track: Reinvest Public Funds in East Cork

Why is this important?

To: The Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Rásaíocht Con Éireann (GRI), and Cork East Representatives

The Situation in Youghal, Co. Cork.

For decades, greyhound racing in Ireland has received tens of millions of euros in public subsidies through the statutory Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund—amounting to over €19 million nationally every year.

Yet, here in East Cork, our local facility—Youghal Greyhound Stadium—runs on life support. State-commissioned economic reviews by Indecon previously highlighted that the Youghal track operates at a financial loss with some of the lowest live spectator turnouts in the region. Official figures and reporting show that meetings frequently take place before nearly empty stands, running primarily to stream off-track betting coverage. Despite this, over €763,000 in public funding has gone toward keeping this single venue operational in recent years. Official figures and media reporting show that Youghal regularly sees as few as 3 paying members of the public at its twice-weekly race meetings. The stands are virtually empty, with races taking place primarily to be filmed for offshore TV betting contracts (SIS).

The Welfare Reality

Behind the empty stands is a grave animal welfare issue. Official figures released through Parliamentary Questions (PQs) show that of the greyhounds registered under the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System (RCETS):

57% of non-exported greyhounds from the 2021 birth cohort that retired in Ireland were recorded as deceased.
74% from the 2022 birth cohort were recorded as deceased.
Over 5,300 dogs were exported overseas from the 2021 cohort alone, while Irish rehoming charities struggle under massive waiting lists.

Taxpayer money should not be used to prop up a industry with unresolvable welfare issues and declining local interest.

What East Cork Needs Instead

East Cork faces real challenges—from underfunded community spaces and sports facilities for local youth, to overwhelmed local animal shelters trying to rescue and rehome greyhounds and other pets. Public money should serve the public good.

Call-To-Action (The Specific Demands)

By signing this petition, we call on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Cork East Public Representatives to:

Cease State Subsidies for Youghal Greyhound Stadium: Implement the findings of independent economic reviews and phase out public grant funding for underperforming regional tracks.
Decouple the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund: Amend Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 to remove the automatic 20% funding guarantee for greyhound racing, subjecting all future allocations to independent Oireachtas scrutiny.
Ring-Fence Funds Locally for East Cork: Redirect the state funding currently used to subsidise Youghal Track directly into East Cork community infrastructure, youth facilities, and local animal welfare organisations.