THE GREYHOUND RACING industry has received over €20 million in funding for the first time since the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund was established in 2001. 

The fund, which is overseen by the Department of Agriculture, was allocated €102 million in Budget 2027 – an increase of €2.9 million from last year.

The money is split 80:20 between the two sports, with horse racing to receive €79.3 million of the fund and greyhound racing to receive €20.4 million. 

Announcing the allocation, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said: “The proposed increase in the Fund will be linked to the implementation of the Indecon Review’s recommendations in respect of equine and greyhound welfare and integrity. This will form part of the Department’s overall animal welfare package.”

The government has come under fire for consistently funding the industry despite ethical concerns around the sport. The funding is in the context of analysis which shows dwindling popularity among the public.

Greyhound Racing Ireland has welcomed the allocation and said the industry is “well-regulated” and “ethical”, and that it makes a significant contribution to Ireland’s economy and culture.

A 2021 report on greyhound racing estimated the industry contributed €132.3 million annually to the Irish economy; however, Sinn Féin senator Chris Andrews previously said the figure could be as low as around €49 million.

Speaking to The Journal, Andrews said funding for the industry is down to intense lobbying of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and “undue influence over public policy”.

“Since 2001, successive Governments have handed €407 million of public money to the inhumane and unpopular greyhound industry. Next year, greyhound racing will receive over €20 million from the state, up half a million from 2026,” he said.

Andrews compared the funding to that of the League of Ireland, which received just €4 million in funding in Budget 2027, despite a report finding it contributed over €160 million to the economy in 2023. 

Andrews said: “This funding is far and away more than what is being given to the League of Ireland, which has to fight for scraps while Greyhound Racing Ireland is guaranteed a mountain of cash every year in perpetuity.”

“Over 1.1 million people attended League of Ireland matches last year. Greyhound meets attracted only a third of that number, and yet the Government barely has an interest in investing in Irish football.”

😡😡😡😡€102 million 😡😡😡❤️❤️ That’s an extraordinary amount of public money being spent on horse and greyhound racing, while animal rescues across Ireland are struggling to survive.💔💔 Those same rescues are taking in the horses and greyhounds who have been discarded, neglected and traumatised. They are paying for veterinary care, rehabilitation, food, shelter and the chance of a second life, often relying on donations and volunteers just to keep going.💔 And yet, our Government continues to put enormous public funding into an industry built around racing and betting.😡😡😡 How can this be right? While rescues are fighting every single day to repair the damage done to these animals, where is the same commitment to their welfare? This isn’t just about money. It’s about priorities. It’s about what kind of country we want Ireland to be. Animals cannot speak for themselves. We have to speak for them.💔💔😡😡😡😡 😡Contact the Taoiseach:😡 Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie Phone: 01 619 4000 Address: Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings, Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2, D02 R583

— My Lovely Horse Rescue (@MyLovelyHorseR) October 6, 2026

Meanwhile, People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy described the funding as “outrageous”.

Speaking to The Journal, he said: “Why is the public paying for cruel greyhound racing? Why is the public giving money for horse racing prizes which end up as tax-free money in the pockets of some of the richest people in the country?”

Sinn Féin’s Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh believes horse racing and greyhound racing should be decoupled when it comes to funding. 

“Greyhound racing should be required to demonstrate its viability as a standalone industry before receiving further taxpayer support,” she told The Journal.

“At present, the industry benefits from being tied to the far more lucrative horse racing sector, despite declining attendance and growing public concern about animal welfare.”

‘Unjustifiable’

Greyhound advocacy group Greyhound Action said the funding of industry in the budget is “unjustifiable from either an economic or animal welfare perspective”.

“The greyhound racing industry is losing money; it has chronically poor attendance at its stadia and its economic case for state support relies on outdated evidence,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“Most damningly of all, it’s an industry whose animal welfare record raises profound questions about whether it should even be allowed to continue.”

The group called on the government to commission an independent, transparent and up-to-date study of the economic value of greyhound racing to the economy.

Animal rescue charity My Lovely Horse criticised the government for funding the industry while animal rescues struggle financially.

“Those same rescues are taking in the horses and greyhounds who have been discarded, neglected and traumatised,” it said on X.

“They are paying for veterinary care, rehabilitation, food, shelter and the chance of a second life, often relying on donations and volunteers just to keep going.”

‘Ethical sport and industry’

Greyhound Racing Ireland, also known as Rásaíocht Con Éireann, said it welcomed the government’s announcement and is “looking forward to continuing to govern and deliver a well-regulated, ethical sport and industry; which through its regularly published performance data demonstrates that it has the greyhound’s welfare as its key strategic priority, and is at the forefront of animal welfare governance in the country”.

“RCÉ as a Commercial Semi-State Body, and the wider greyhound racing industry, also make a significant contribution to the economy and the social, cultural and heritage life of our country.”

Horse Racing Ireland similarly welcome the increased allocation to the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund.

“The Irish thoroughbred racing and breeding industry generates €2.46 billion annually for the Irish economy, supports over 30,000 jobs, predominantly in rural Ireland, and for every €1 received in annual funding, €35 more is generated in economic activity,” it said.

It said that support from the Department of Agriculture is “essential” for the Irish horse racing sector.

The Department of Agriculture has been contacted for comment.