The Vegan Society of Ireland is dedicated to promoting veganism as an ethical and sustainable lifestyle choice, advocating for animal rights and educating the public about the impact of their choices on other species and the environment.

We strive to be the authoritative voice on vegan matters in Irish media and work towards policy changes to enshrine animal rights in Irish law.

As Budget 2025 approaches, the Vegan Society of Ireland is calling for the government to:

1. Defund greyhound racing immediately
2. Phase out funding to the horse racing industry over the next two years
3. Allocate further funding to animal rights organisations and animal charities
4. Establish a €150million fund to support plant-based food start-ups
5. Create an Irish Plant-Based Food System Transition Strategy

Horse and Greyhound Racing

In Budget 2024, the government allocated €76 million to horse racing. €19 million was allocated to the greyhound industry.

It is simply not acceptable to spend €96 million of public money on funding these inhumane activities that cause animal suffering and, in many cases, animal death.

There have been multiple news reports and documentaries about the lack of animal welfare in these activities. Innocent animals are abused for the sake of entertainment. They needlessly suffer and die. There is no place for this cruelty in society, and the government should certainly not pay for it.

Animal Rescue Organisations and Animal Sanctuaries

Countless animals lives are endangered in Ireland. Animal rescues and animal sanctuaries are overwhelmed by the volume of animals in their care and, of course, the costs associated with this. These organisations, which are run mostly by hard-working volunteers, cannot sustain the number of animals they must support. The government must intervene in the problem it has helped create.  We also call for an end to the sale and trafficking of animals.

Plant-Based Grants and Transitions

We urge the government to look towards models such as the Plant-Based Food Grant in Denmark. This will subsidise the transition from agricultural farming to a green and plant-based system.

Farming lobbies in the EU have recognised the need to eat less meat because our current agricultural practices are not sustainable. We urge the government to allocate funding to create an Irish Plant-Based Food System Transition Strategy.