(a) Representatives from the Greyhound Racing Constituents Northern Ireland (in opposition of the Motion):
· Mr Kieran Connolly
· Ms Stephanie English; and
· Mrs Lynda Bonner OBE
Speaking in support of the Motion:
· Mr Daniel Barclay
(b) Belfast IPSC (Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign) re: Barclays Bank
· Sue Pentel
· Rossa Coyle
Minutes:
The Chief Executive advised the Council that requests to address the Council had been received from Mr. Kieran Connolly, Ms. Stephanie English and Mrs. Lynda Bonner OBE, representing Greyhound Racing Constituents Northern Ireland, and Mr. Daniel Barclay, who was opposed to Greyhound racing.
The Council acceded to the requests.
Firstly, the Lord Mayor welcomed Mr. K. Connolly, Ms. S. English and Mrs. L. Bonner OBE (Greyhound Racing Constituents Northern Ireland - GRCNI) to the meeting. Together they outlined that greyhound racing was a cross-community, working class sport. They stated that GRCNI prioritised greyhound welfare and adhered strictly to greyhound racing regulations. The Members were advised that greyhound welfare was regulated by The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and that all their owners adhered to strict rules on licensing, microchipping and breeding. The Racing operated under the Greyhound Racetrack NI Regulations 1962, as amended in 2007, with oversight from the Irish Coursing Club under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958. They also outlined that, under the Act, the Club managed the Irish Greyhound studbook for the registration and identification of all greyhounds. Both Drumbo and Brandywell racetracks were members of the Club, as were all the owners. They highlighted the importance of having well-regulated, safe racing surfaces for the greyhounds and that Club Stewards were always on hand for the welfare of the animals. They stated that retired greyhounds were re-homed responsibly. The representatives cautioned that banning greyhound racing could push the sport underground, putting the animals at risk. They thanked the Council for its time and the representatives retired from the meeting.
The Lord Mayor then welcomed Mr. D. Barclay to the meeting. He outlined that greyhound racing should be banned due to cruelty and corruption. It was only legal in five countries, namely, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Mexico and Vietnam. He stated that, contrary to what the previous deputation had claimed, there was no regulation of NI’s Greyhound Racing Industry, as Greyhound Racing Ireland did not have the jurisdiction to inspect or give welfare checks in Northern Ireland, nor did the regulations for Great Britain apply. He stated that there was therefore no legal requirement for the industry to publish data on deaths on track, registered owners, health and safety requirements or adherence to the Welfare of Animals Act. He stated that thousands of greyhounds went missing each year, despite them all having to be registered and traceable. He gave an example of a lorry full of unregistered greyhounds which had died in transit on their way to Spain for hunting purposes. He emphasised that regulation did not stop the cruelty and he highlighted that emaciated dogs and cruel treatment of greyhounds still occurred in regulated parts of the world, such as GB and Ireland. He thanked the Members for their time and retired from the meeting.
The Chief Executive advised that a further request had been received from Ms. Sue Pentel and Ms. Rossa Coyle, representing Belfast IPSC (Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign), who wished to address the Council in relation to Barclays Bank.
The Council acceded to the request and they were admitted to the meeting.
The Lord Mayor welcomed Ms. S. Pentel and Ms. R. Coyle, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and Jews for Palestine Ireland, to the meeting. They advised the Council that they wished to highlight the complicity of Barclays Bank in the Israeli genocide. They explained that the genocide was not only being fought with weapons but also with money, namely Israeli Bonds, and that it was more important than ever to speak up and to hold companies which were profiting from the genocide to account and to ensure that no public money went to complicit companies. They stated that over 11,000 people had signed a petition to condemn the Bank’s complicity in the genocide.
They stated that over 750 days, over 68,000 people had been killed and over 100,000 people had been injured, including over 20,000 children, many of whom had now lost their entire families. According to the United Nations, Gaza now had the highest number of child amputees in world history. They highlighted that teachers, journalists, aid workers, doctors and healthcare workers had been killed, abducted or tortured by the Israeli regime. While a ceasefire had been agreed on 10th October, 2025, over 200 people had been shot since that date, with 100 Palestinians having been killed in one day last week. Aid, fuel, building materials and clean water were all still severely restricted. They stated that Israel had seized more land since October 2023 than in the last 20 years. They highlighted the violations of international law by Israel, the Declaration of Famine, forced starvation and the deliberate devastation of 90% of Gaza’s buildings, all of which were reported by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur, in July 2025. They urged the Council to cease trading with Barclays Bank and to adopt an ethical procurement policy. They thanked the Council for its time and they retired from the meeting.