Greyhound Racing Act 2019

• Permanent Page URL

Chapter 2

Racing sanctions

Racing sanctions

46. (1) Where the Control Committee under section 45 or the Appeal Committee under an appeal under section 49 determines that a person has breached the Racing code which is a sanction breach of the code, the Committee, having regard to the seriousness of the breach and any recommendation of the Board under section 42 (6), may, giving reasons, decide to impose any of the following sanctions (“administrative racing sanctions”) that is to say—

(a) give an advice, admonishment or censure, in writing,

(b) make—

(i) a disqualification order, or

(ii) an exclusion order,

or

(c) revoke or suspend a greyhound race track licence, a course-betting permit or a licence, permit or approval (within the meaning of section 31 ), held by the person,

and may direct the person to pay costs or expenses of any investigations or hearings.

(2) In addition to any administrative racing sanction imposed under subsection (1), the Control Committee or the Appeal Committee, where—

(a) it believes that a person—

(i) sought or attempted to cause a benefit or a detriment to a person involved in the sport (including himself or herself),

(ii) neglected or disregarded the health or welfare of a greyhound, or

(iii) failed to co-operate with an investigation under section 42 in relation to the breach concerned,

or

(b) the person has breached substances regulations,

may, giving reasons, require the person to pay a sum (“sanction payment”) not exceeding €12,500 to the Board.

(3) A person who fails to pay a sanction payment or the costs or expenses of any investigation or hearing imposed on him or her shall not be permitted to train, transfer ownership of or race greyhounds or attend at a greyhound race track until the amount is paid in full.

(4) A person who enters a greyhound race track in contravention of subsection (3) may be required to leave the track. A person who fails to leave may be removed (using reasonable force) by any person acting under the direction of the licensee under the greyhound race track licence relating to the track.

(5) The Board may publish the names and addresses of persons who have failed to pay sanction payments required to be paid under subsection (2) by the Control Committee or on appeal under section 49 confirmed or imposed by Appeal Committee or costs or expenses referred to in subsection (3).

(6) A sanction payment payable under the direction of the Control Committee or the Appeal Committee shall be paid to the Board and be accounted for by the Board in its annual accounts.

(7) The Board may recover a sanction payment and the costs or expenses of any investigations or hearings as a simple contract debt in a court of competent jurisdiction from the person who is liable for such debt.

(8) The Control Committee may stay the imposition of an administrative racing sanction providing for revocation or suspension of a licence, permit or approval for the period of 21 days following the Control Committee’s decision or in the event of an appeal under section 49 pending the outcome of that appeal.

(9) The Control Committee shall keep records of its decisions at hearings and any racing sanctions it imposes and state in the records the reasons for reaching the decision or imposing the sanction.