Letter: Racing receives millions while emergency services forced to fundraise

Emergency medical response services are forced to fundraise while the government dishes out millions to support two minority recreational interests (horse and greyhound racing) that have a seam of animal cruelty, illegal drug use and financial malpractice running through them – Read John Tierney’s Letter to the Editor in today’s Irish Daily Mail and please scroll down for action alert…

Gambling trumps rural emergency response service
Irish Daily Mail, 5 June 2024

In Ireland, the funding model of providing emergency medical response services is an insult to the memory and spirit of Reverend John Flynn, founder of the Australian Flying Doctor Service.

Once again, we read that a fundraising campaign for the procurement of a new state-of-the-art critical emergency medical response vehicle has been set up by a voluntary organisation.

This Waterford-based group aims to raise over €150,000, with the objective of acquiring and operating an emergency vehicle equipped with advanced medical facilities, which would have the capacity to bring the A&E to the scene of an accident.

The rapid response vehicle will be able to respond to incidents like cardiac arrest, road traffic collisions, and workplace and farming accidents.

The rattle of a collection tin is all that will be done to ensure that the key keeps turning over in this emergency response vehicle.

While waiting for the arrival of this vehicle, the accident victim, with his or her life ebbing away, may find it a source of comfort to know that at least the horse racing and greyhound racing industry were financially inoculated in the last budget to the tune of €95 million. Horse Racing Ireland received €76 million while €19 million went to Greyhound Racing Ireland.

Money extracted from the citizen’s purse is being dished out to support two minority recreational interests that have a seam of animal cruelty, illegal drug use and financial malpractice running through them.

On our behalf, the Irish government has made a choice of tapping the financial keg for two industries reeking of animal abuse, while the provision of emergency medical services to rural communities has to rely on the outstretched donation hand.

It is the financial equivalent of shooting down the Flying Doctor aeroplane.

In a country where our government continues to fund industries that are circling the drain, can it be a surprise that those entrusted to spend taxpayers’ money lack the financial nous to decide the allocation based on real need than sectorial interest.

Every accident victim’s memorial card, that distils a person’s life to dates and words, will now have an extra line: In Ireland, equine and canine gambling is more important than the provision of emergency medical intervention services.

John Tierney
Campaigns Director, Association of Hunt Saboteurs

ACTION ALERT

Don’t attend races or bet on racing.

Demand an end to the government’s massive grants to horse and greyhound racing – more than €1.7 Billion (€1,736,071,127) handed over since 2001, including €95 million for 2024. Contact the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Finance Minister now.

Taoiseach Simon Harris TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris

Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD

Michael McGrath TD
Minister for Finance
Email: michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/michael.mcgrath.1614
X: http://twitter.com/mmcgrathtd

Why you should say NO to horse racing – download and distribute the leaflet
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/08/05/new-leaflet-why-you-should-say-no-to-horse-racing

Watch the BBC Panorama documentary “The Dark Side of Horse Racing”

Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary

Sign and share the petitions

Irish Government: Stop giving millions of euros to horse racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euros-to-horse-racing

Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing

Irish Government grants to horse racing

2001 €47,110,330
2002 €54,452,651
2003 €51,348,800
2004 €53,531,200
2005 €54,680,000
2006 €56,047,000
2007 €58,539,000
2008 €61,028,800
2009 €54,502,000
2010 €47,411,200
2011 €45,830,000
2012 €45,032,000
2013 €44,016,000
2014 €43,376,000
2015 €54,400,000
2016 €59,200,000
2017 €64,000,000
2018 €64,000,000
2019 €67,200,000
2020 €67,200,000
2021 €76,800,000
2022 €70,400,000
2023 €72,800,000
2024 €76,000,000

TOTAL: €1,388,904,981
(€1.38 Billion)

Irish Government grants to greyhound racing

2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
2022 €17,600,000
2023 €18,200,000
2024 €19,000,000
TOTAL: €347,166,146 (€347.1 million)

Source: Department of Agriculture