Ex-Bord na gCon head settles action

Dismissed Bord na gCon chief executive Aidan Tynan is understood to have settled his legal action against his former employers…

Dismissed Bord na gCon chief executive Aidan Tynan is understood to have settled his legal action against his former employers.

No details of the settlement were available last night.

Meanwhile, a former secretary general of the Department of Justice is to review the greyhound board's management of positive drug tests on two dogs and the sacking of Mr Tynan.

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue has appointed Tim Dalton to review the events surrounding the dismissal of Mr Tynan last week.

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The board sacked him days after it learned that Mr Tynan wrote to Mr O'Donoghue expressing concern at Bord na gCon's decision not to publish details of a hearing in November that resulted in trainers Paul Hennessy and John Kiely being fined €1,000 each after two of their dogs tested positive for EPO.

EPO is a banned performance-enhancing substance.

Bord na gCon normally publishes details of positive tests and fines in trade papers, but decided on this occasion that it was not in the greyhound industry's interests. Bord na gCon's chairman, Paschal Taggart, has given the Minister separate reports on both issues.

He has consistently maintained that the decision to dismiss Mr Tynan was not connected with the EPO controversy.

Mr O'Donoghue said yesterday that he decided to appoint Mr Dalton because of the importance of the greyhound industry's standing and welfare.

"The greyhound industry is an important national industry and its continued well-being is a matter of concern to me, Bord na gCon and to the many people who own and train dogs or who follow the sport," he said.

It is understood that Mr O'Donoghue also raised the issue at yesterday's Cabinet meeting.

Mr Taggart said yesterday that he welcomed Mr Dalton's appointment, and that he and the board would be happy to work with him.

"I am sure that both myself and the board will be vindicated," he told The Irish Times.

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O'Halloran

Barry O’Halloran covers energy, construction, insolvency, and gaming and betting, among other areas