Greyhound Racing Act 2019

Greyhound Racing Control Committee

44. (1) There is established a committee to be known as the Greyhound Racing Control Committee (“Control Committee”) to perform the functions conferred on it under subsection (2).

(2) It is the function of the Control Committee to decide if there has been a sanction breach of the Racing code.

(3) The Control Committee is independent in the performance of its functions.

(4) The quorum for the Control Committee shall consist of a chairperson or deputy chairperson (if one is appointed) and any 2 ordinary members.

(5) The chairperson of the Control Committee—

(a) shall be appointed by the Minister, and

(b) shall hold office for 5 years from the date of his or her appointment.

(6) A maximum of 8 ordinary members of the Control Committee shall be appointed by the Minister and shall include one or more than one veterinary practitioner and a practising solicitor or barrister of at least 5 years standing.

(7) The chairperson may nominate one of the 8 ordinary members as deputy chairperson and such member will deputise for the chairperson when the chairperson so requests or in the event that the chairperson is unable to perform his or her functions.

(8) An ordinary member of the Control Committee shall hold office for 4 years from the date of his or her appointment.

(9) A member of the Control Committee may serve not more than 2 consecutive terms.

(10) Where a member of the Control Committee, whose term of office has expired, has not been reappointed or may not be reappointed by virtue of having served 2 consecutive terms, the member shall continue in office until the vacancy occasioned by the expiration of his or her term of office is filled by the appointment of another person.

(11) If the chairperson or an ordinary member of the Control Committee dies, becomes disqualified from holding, resigns or is removed from office, the Minister may appoint a person to be the chairperson or a member of the Control Committee to fill the vacancy so occasioned.

(12) The person appointed to be the chairperson or a person appointed to be an ordinary member of the Control Committee under subsection (11) holds office for the remainder of the term of office of the member of the Committee, the cessation of whose term of office occasioned the vacancy.

(13) The chairperson or an ordinary member of the Control Committee may resign from office by notice in writing to the Minister and the resignation takes effect on the date on which the Minister receives the notice.

(14) A member of the Board or the Appeal Committee shall not be a member of the Control Committee.

(15) A member of the Control Committee shall disclose any potential conflict of interest in accordance with section 12 .

(16) A member of the Control Committee ceases to be qualified for office and ceases to hold office if he or she—

(a) is adjudicated bankrupt,

(b) has a composition or arrangement with creditors,

(c) is convicted of an offence under the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997 or an offence involving cruelty to an animal or relating to animal welfare,

(d) is convicted of an indictable offence in relation to a company or an existing company (within the meaning of the Companies Act 2014 ),

(e) has a conflict of interest of such significance that, in the opinion of the Minister, such conflict requires that he or she should cease to hold office,

(f) is convicted of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty,

(g) is sentenced to a term of imprisonment by a court of competent jurisdiction,

(h) fails to disclose any potential conflict of interest in accordance with subsection (15), or

(i) is subject to an exclusion order.

(17) There shall be paid out of the income of the Board to members of the Control Committee such remuneration and allowances for expenses (if any) incurred by them in the discharge of their functions as the Board may determine with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

(18) The Board shall provide the secretarial and executive functions necessary to serve the work of the Control Committee.

(19) The Control Committee may, after consulting with the Appeal Committee, make policy recommendations to the Board in relation to matters within the jurisdiction of the committee.

(20) The Control Committee may publish its decisions including the details of any racing sanctions it imposes together with the name and address of any individual who is the subject of a racing sanction after—

(a) the period for appeal has expired without an appeal being made by that individual, or

(b) in the event of an appeal being made, the appeal be not successful.