Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 1 Dec 2020
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS TD Holly Cairns has invited the board member from Greyhound Racing Ireland who wrote online that she was “an ignorant little girl” to a broadcast debate about the industry.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Cairns said she wanted to place on the record of the house that there is “no excuse” for such comments.
Wayne McCarthy, who sent the tweet, is a board member of the state organisation and has since apologised for his comments.
Fine Gael TD Joe Carey liked the tweet and has also offered his “sincere apologies” to Cairns for doing so.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Cairns she didn’t want to “use her speaking time” in the Dáil to address “this everyday sexism” but that it cannot be ignored.
“As the only female TD in all of Cork City and county, I feel the need to address the sexism that we’re all used to. I feel the need to put it on the Dáil record that a board member of a state organisation, in 2020, spoke about an elected woman in that way. And I feel the need to say that there can be no excuse for this because there is no excuse,” she said.
This house needs to send a clear message to everybody that there needs to be zero tolerance for sexism. The member of the Irish Greyhound Board also claimed my remarks were ‘waffle’. I would like to put on the record that none of my remarks were waffle, the opposite.
“So I’d like to take this opportunity to invite this member of the Irish Greyhound Board to take part in a debate about the facts that I have raised in relation to the greyhound racing industry. The viability of the industry, the animal welfare issues associated with the industry, the public disquiet about its State funding. I’m sure a national broadcaster will be happy to facilitate it and I’d be happy to arrange that.”
Speaking to reporters earlier today, Cairns said she accepted the apology from the Fine Gael TD who liked the tweet.
“I do accept the apology but we do need this to be denormalised, it’s dehumanising and absolutely not acceptable,” she said, adding:
The reality is that women in Ireland have got used to these kind of gendered comments and sometimes find it easy to ignore it, however if we continue to ignore it we allow a culture that facilitates this kind of commentary, which is absolutely unacceptable.
I liked a tweet that was disrespectful to one of my fellow TDs. I should not have done so. It was wrong and I offer my sincere apologises to @HollyCairnsTD
— Joe Carey TD (@joecareytd) November 30, 2020
Last week, a Private Members’ Motion by the Social Democrats TD that sought to prevent an increase in funding of €2.4 million to the greyhound industry was defeated.
Today, the Dáil again debate funding for the greyhound industry as part of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. The government’s proposal would see just over €76 million going Horse Racing Ireland and €19.2 million going to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (Greyhound Racing Ireland).
Beginning the debate today, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said both industries “make a significant and valuable contribution to our economy”.
“It is estimated that the thoroughbred industry has an annual economic impact of €1.9 billion, with direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people, while the greyhound sector provides an estimated 12,000 people with economic benefit,” the minister said.
Successive governments have acknowledged the importance of these industries and have supported them through legislation and policy initiatives. The support provided by public funds through investment in these industries has enabled Ireland to develop a world class reputation for excellence in horse racing, greyhound racing and breeding.
Speaking in response to the minister, Cairns said there was “extraordinary public support” for an end to state funding of the industry,
“The industry receives extraordinary sums of money from the public purse while breeding 6,000 dogs annually to kill them. The vast majority of the general public cannot understand why government continues to blatantly ignore common sense on this issue,” she said.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie last week ahead of the Dáil debate, Rásíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) said the care and welfare of greyhounds is its priority focus.
“Poor welfare standards have no place within the greyhound industry. The targeting of resources in this area has been reflected in the increasing number of welfare inspections with 615 inspections being undertaken in 2019 resulting in 16 fixed payment notices and 6 welfare notices under the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011,” it said.
“Doping and misuse of medication are an unacceptable practice which unfortunately has been evident in most sporting codes. RCÉ processed 5,702 samples from greyhounds at the national greyhound laboratory during 2019.
“These samples were taken on a random basis at race meetings, sales events, owners’ and trainers’ kennels and out of competition testing. 15 samples returned an adverse analytical finding representing a rate of 0.3%.”
It said the estimated spend on “integrity, regulation and welfare” in 2020 will be about €3.2 million.
“Greyhound racing has been part of Irish culture and heritage for over 90 years and we look forward to this national sport continuing to be part of activity in rural and urban Ireland for many years to come,” the statement concluded.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What do you expect from a Fine Gael councillor. He only retracted it when he knew there would be a backlash. Knob.
@paul mccoy: Isn’t this the very thing this topic is complaining about, criticizing a person rather than what they say?
@paul mccoy: Ad hominem attack?
@Wurps: smoke screen story for the SDs not showing who donates and backs the party
You can criticise robustly but fairly, without being a misogynist, without getting personal or offensive. Play the ball, not the person.
@Stiofán Mac Stáin: couldn’t have stated the obvious better! Good man Stiofán
@Galwaygogo: I see what you did there…
@Galwaygogo: It didn’t last too long clearly!
FG members get nasty very quickly when questions are asked of the greyhound industry, meat processing plants or any other big business they’re in the pocket of.
Well done to Holly for raising the cruel treatment of greyhounds and questioning why we’re all funding it as taxpayers, she’s quickly turning into one of the finest TDs we have!
@Rochelle:
Lol, one of the finest TDs we have? Never heard of her before.
@Doug: then that’s on you, my man. She is excellent, well read, puts forward thoughtful, researched standpoints during Dáil sessions and seems to actually care about her job. She was very vocal in the Unseal the Archives session. Some of clips of her on youtube and instagram if you want a lil look to find out more.
@Rochelle: Yeah a great representative for the people. One of her first issues raised in the Dail when elected was one that affects so many people up and down the country, ‘paid maternity leave for TDs’ .
@DK: do you think they not entitled to it?
@DK: Paid maternity leave would contribute to giving opportunity for more women to stand for election to the Dáil. And since there are more women than men in Ireland, yes, it is an issue “that affects so many people up and down the country”.
@Rochelle: Yeah her tweet about the pope shows she is one of our finest TDs.
@Decko49: aside from that.. would you like someone, in a professional capacity, to refer to you as just some ign0rant little boy on social media? Why get so personal and let’s face it…s€xist.
@e: Did she not get extremely personal with the pope?
Hard to believe this sort of stuff comes from a public representative and one who’s hardly unaware of what constitutes sexism. 2020 technology and 1950′s mindset are not a good combination…
@The Alchemist’s Head: succinctly put
you think most td’s would just uninstall twitter @ this stage.
Why we fund those two industries is beyond me.
@Bennett blaster: because its making the goverment lots of money
@Keith Lonergan: yeah but can they not self sufficient? They would still pay tax. It’s just more money for the boys!
@e: and girls.
@Hans Vos: yeah that was in the context that they are all friends, not adversaries.. again it’s the context of the comment that makes it offensive.
Surely it would be more appropriate to address the argument here. How many nurses, gardai, teachers could be employed to deal with real life problems if the money was re-directed? How many people in rural Ireland actually attend or take part in greyhound racing? How much revenue does this sport generate and what is it spent on? Surely we should be told, otherwise we might be suspicious that the whole business including taxpayer financing is in part a wholly owned subsidy of the betting industry – which in itself causes a need for even more government subsidy to maintain financially strapped families affected by gambling addiction. In short are we providing an increasingly expensive subsidy to an organisation whose activities economically harm families that need another subsidy to dela with the harm. Legacy subsidies are the bane of democracies everywhere because ending them requires standing on the toes of often increasingly irrelevent organizations using subsidized lobby groups both empowered by the receipt of the public subsidies.
@mmz: bravo!
But im sure the phrase “inorant little man” would pass her filter… and yes its spelt without the g because it wont get posted, even though its in the article.
@Richard Griffin: I noticed you consider the equivalent as “man” instead of “boy”, the latter for a 31 year old would undoubtedly be considered insulting.
The reality is some men will jump through any number of hoops required to avoid referring to an adult as a “woman” as it affords equal status.
@Rochelle: your point is reasonable under certain circumstances. Men refer to their friends as ‘the lads’ or ‘ the boys’ as do women ‘the girls’, regardless of age. Only when it’s said in a derogatory way does offense arise.
@Gareth Murran: ah now! I’m pretty sure in this instance it is plainly meant to add to the insult of calling her ign0rant. What if she called him an “ign0rant little boy” and might I add a c0ward for attacking her from behind a keyboard.
Ah cop on!!! Being offended by that is pat hetic!!!!!! “Don’t call me a girl, I’m a woman” Grow up.
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: that’s her point, she’s grown up hence a woman… Ohhh the irony of the ig norant..
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: Calm down little boy
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: she said she didn’t take offense but that she’d like a debate.
Ah the board of IGB, or whatever they are calling themselves these days in an effort to distance themselves from the primetime special, showing they are stuck in the past and completely out of touch with modern Ireland. Ironically the past they are stuck in, is the same past that greyhound racing was popular in society.
That Fine Gael TD has to stand down. Bullying at a national level for all to see. Typical FG arrogance!
@Finbarr Ryan: is that’s the best you can come up with is ” stand down ‘”
@Finbarr Ryan: Stand down, as in resign, because he liked a tweet? Nonsense.
Also, if liking a ‘problematic’ tweet constitutes bullying then we are all bullies. (you included I’d wager)
@Finbarr Ryan: I’d rather see a SF TD step down over condoning terrorism than this. An apology suffices.
@Will: I’m writing this reply to all who commented. Just wanted to see what would happen if I posted the most common post from the SF tweet article comment section and put it here just to see the comebacks. People are either loyal or bias because both issues in my opinion were nothing. Tell them to cop and make them aware why they shouldn’t comment that. I don’t want him to stand down or resign but I enjoyed the laugh. You same lads wanted Brian Stanley to resign or Mary Lou to throw him out. There’s a touch of Trump mentality in FG hardcore supporters. They’re always right and never wrong and if they are wrong it was SFs fault.
It’s not that long since Ms Cairns had to apologise over tweets she posted. Eaten bread is soon forgotten.
Where are the Greens. This industry needs to be shut down. Fair play to the socdems.
No big deal here. The little girl should grow up a bit.
@francis walsh: she has grown up, hence she’s a woman… Specs avers that way—>
But he said he was sorry, like so many other politicians once they say they’re sorry sure that’s grand
@George Demo: no more than herself
Social dems, show who donates to your party,
they’re like the PDs, The Golden circle followed by upper and middle class kids. Not a party to bother with.
@Galwaygogo: They open their accounts to SIPO, just like every other party.
@PolyglotPaul: 13 parties didnt bother filing returns to SIPO, arguably the 13 parties are the ones that would be the mostly sketchily financed. Social Democrats were one of the 9 parties that did file returns with SIPO, on time and independently audited.
I have no doubt that sexism is alive and well in Ireland and in greyhound racing.
However if a woman called a man “an ignorant little man” it would not be considered sexist.
If we hope for sexism to be reversed we need to view things equally.
@Davis Payne: He called her a little girl, not a woman, not a person but he referred to a grown woman, a public representative as a child. Would you think it was ok for someone to call you a little boy?
I dont see much wrong with track racing, but the blooding of hounds, & coursing with live hares needs to be stopped.
Should be posible, simply by legislation to enable licencing of the former, banning the latter, & a cancellation/exclusion discipline for offences.
The greyhound board are already establishing appropriate controls for end of life practices, so why not make all of these conditional for grant aid?
Just as with the recent FAI grant aid reforms.
@William Kelly: end of life practices … Give me a break. This isn’t sport. Just like big game shooting isn’t sport. It needs to be outlawed ASAP. And next on the list should be fox hunting.
The primetime programme should be watched by everyone. What happens to the innocent dogs is barbaric. Our greyhound treatment made headlines in many parts of the world. Six thousand dogs bred just to be killed if they dont run fast enough. A bolt shot into their brain (which may not kill them outright at first) as it’s cheaper than using a vet to euthanise them.
Live coursing.
Are the dogs elite sports???? Lol
How does an SD TD have a FF TD partner? Shows it’s just a career for them, they don’t care really.
Lost all respect when the first thing she did as a TD in the middle of a pandemic in June was call for maternity leave for TDs. Only out for herself! She must have realised she wanted to get pregnant in the next 5 years!
“…while the greyhound sector provides an estimated 12,000 people with economic benefit,” the minister said.”
I wonder what defines economic benefit here. Sure, breeders and trainers and the betting industry must be meant. But it certainly doesn’t benefit anybody else. And the public has loudly spoken in the Red C poll against the funding. The way these TDs defend the funding with personal attacks and misogynistic remarks and the endless mantra of tradition only shows that they have zero respect and are most likely driven by their own personal gains. After all, many are invested and involved in breeding or owning a share in a dog themselves.
Disgraceful comment.
have your say