The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has requested an independent assessment of the greyhound board's decision not to publish details of two positive drug tests for dogs and the sacking of its chief executive.
Last week Bord na gCon sacked its chief executive Aidan Tynan after it emerged he had written to John O'Donoghue expressing concerns at the board's decision not to publish details of a hearing involving two trainers who were fined after admitting to giving EPO, a performance-enhancing drug, to their dogs.
A statement from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Mr O'Donoghue's decision comes in the wake of a report on the matter he received from Mr Paschal Taggart, chairman of Bord na gCon.
A statement this evening from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, said: "Because of the importance, which the Minister attaches to the standing and welfare of the greyhound industry, he has decided that the recent developments merit independent assessment."
Mr Tim Dalton, the former secretary general of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is to carry out the assessment into the matters at dispute and to present a report to the Minister.
The Minister said: "Members of the public must have confidence in the industry's standing and its operation if it is to continue to enjoy its current substantial level of support.
"The success it has achieved to date is in no small way due to the policies put in place by Bord na gCon. Accordingly, the issues which have come into the public domain in recent days merit independent assessment," he said.