merrion street

Tom Hayes, TD, Minister of State, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, today announced that a contract to carry out a review of certain matters relating to Bord na gCon has been awarded to Indecon International Economic Consultants.

Referring to the award, the Minister said:

“I indicated in October that I had agreed with the Chairman of Bord na gCon that I would be inviting tenders for a review of the organisation. The review was intended to assess the effectiveness of the legal, governance and administrative framework, supporting the industry and identify opportunities to maximise the commercial income of the Bord, in order to assist the greyhound racing industry in reaching its potential. I am delighted to announce today that contract for conducting the review has now been awarded to Indecon, following the conclusion of a competitive tendering process which was published on the Government’s etenders procurement website.”

Minister Hayes also referred to the stakeholder consultation process facilitated by his Department as part of the review:

“Through this process stakeholders have been afforded an opportunity to make a contribution to this review. In this regard my department has received 17 submissions which have been passed to Indecon for consideration. I felt that it was very important stakeholders had their say in the process and I am delighted that there has been significant engagement from the sector. ”

Concluding, the Minister outlined the tremendous potential of the greyhound industry to make a significant contribution to the economic and social fabric of the country, particularly in rural areas:

“This critically important sector provides up to 10,000 jobs in Ireland, many of them in the rural economy. The findings of this review will provide a road map that can help the industry to position itself to ensure that it achieve its maximum potential in the years ahead”.