The chief executive of the Irish greyhound board, Bord na gCon, Aidan Tynan, was fired yesterday amid a row over doping in the sport.
Last week, in a letter to the Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, Mr Tynan complained about a board decision not to publish the findings of drug abuse.
The letter relates to a case last summer where EPO was found in a dog called 'Barefoot Jenny'.
Speaking on RTE radio today the chairman of Bord na gCon, Paschal Taggart, said the board had decided not to make the case public because it was the first time they had tested for EPO.
Mr Taggart said the board took the decision "in the interest of the greyhound industry" to fine the trainers the maximum fine. He also said the board decided not to publish that case but to take two pages in the sporting papers to warn the industry that they were testing for EPO.
"We felt that the interests of the greyhound industry and the public that we would publish in future cases," Mr Taggart added.
Mr Taggart refuted the fact that Mr Tynan was fired because of the letter.
"Yes I know he had written to the minister but that had no consequences in yesterday's decision.
"The board unanimously felt he wasn't carrying out the bord strategy and that we couldn't have him as our chief executive ongoing" he said.
A spokesman for the Minister said he had asked for an "urgent report" from Mr Taggart in response to the letter.
