Brian Walsh (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their very informative presentations. Some of Mr. O'Brien's evidence was contradictory in the sense that sporting bodies are being supported to the tune of €30 million to €40 million. Surely the drinks companies expect some return from that. Will Mr. O'Brien explain why the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland is so enthusiastically opposed to any proposed ban? Obviously it is doing so in order to maximise the return obtained from this type of sponsorship. In such circumstances, there is a slight contradiction in the arguments Mr. O'Brien is presenting. Having said that, I am not really in favour of the introduction of a ban because I do not believe it will have the desired effect in light of the open nature of our media.

Whatever about the merits of introducing some restrictions in respect of sports involving younger people, the idea that we would introduce a ban in respect of the horse racing industry is nonsensical. Primarily, that industry attracts a mature audience. As Mr. Kavanagh suggested, the average age of racegoers is 35. Such people would obviously be regarded as responsible adults who will make their own choices in respect of their consumption of alcohol. As Mr. Kavanagh also stated, the horse racing industry is extremely important and is worth €1 billion to the economy. There are over 15,000 people employed in the industry here. In my constituency, the Galway racing festival provides a huge annual boost to the local economy of something in the region of €60 million. This is replicated at the Leopardstown and Punchestown festivals. Mr. Kavanagh referred to Punchestown and it was extremely encouraging that a record number of people were in attendance at the festival yesterday. The horse racing industry faces a number of challenges, not least among which is the fact that the numbers attending race meetings are diminishing. The calibre of horses that have been involved in this year's festival would simply not have been brought by their owners if the prize money on offer was not pitched at an acceptable level. As Mr. Kavanagh pointed out, one of the most highly rated steeplechasers in history ran in one of yesterday's races. That was the case because of the status of the Punchestown festival. It has gained that status over many years as a result of the support it receives from a plethora of advertisers and primarily those in the drinks industry. The festivals at Galway, Punchestown, Leopardstown and Fairyhouse are all examples of how the drinks industry is making a very valuable contribution to the sport.

The numbers attending race meetings have fallen sharply and the Government is considering alternative ways of funding the industry. However, the suggestion that we should introduce a ban on one of the major sources of revenue for that industry is simply not correct. We must keep the owners interested and satisfied. There has been a decrease in the level of sponsorship for the horse racing industry in recent years and prize money is the key factor in keeping the owners on board. The Irish are renowned the world over for the quality of the horses they produce for national hunt and flat racing. This is due to smaller owners in rural areas who own mares which produce quality foals. Such individuals might not have been in a position to breed horses if their animals had not won prize money in races.

There is some merit in what has been presented to us, particularly in the context of sports involving younger audiences. However, I am of the view that we should not touch the horse racing industry because it is too important to the country's economy.