THE IRISH Greyhound Board (IGB) has hired consultants at Kildare-based accounting firm O’Kelly Sutton to advise on its five-year strategic plan. This will involve evaluating some 1,200 submissions from stakeholders in the industry and formulating recommendations for the greyhound board that will take it to 2017.

The review comes when State funding – via the horse and greyhound fund – and commercial revenues have come under pressure in the recession. The industry employs more than 10,300 people and is worth about €240 million annually to the Irish economy.

The 2007-2011 plan delivered €49.4 million in total prize money, which was €5 million higher than the previous five-year period. This was delivered by removing over €44.5 million in operating costs.

IGB chairman Phil Meaney said yesterday: “We need to put in place a roadmap that clearly takes us through this ongoing recession and to be well positioned to avail of the upturn when it comes, taking us to where we want to be by 2017.”

IGB is a commercial semi-State company.