Mr. Brian Kavanagh:

No change is envisaged for point-to-point races and no change is envisaged in the role of the hunt clubs. Horse Racing Ireland provides funding of approximately €1.5 million per year to point-to-point races. Approximately €800,000 of this goes to the hunt clubs for prize money. They run the point-to-point races throughout the country. Approximately €200,000 goes in grants to the hunt clubs to support their costs in running point-to-point races. Approximately half a million euro or €450,000 goes to the national hunt committee of the Turf Club to provide stewards and regulation at the point-to-point races. Clearly, there is a spend on the part of Horse Racing Ireland in this area.

Point-to-point races are a significant part of the national hunt industry and form its backbone. Of the 17,979 runners over jumps last year in Ireland in the national hunt season, 7,419 were ex-point-to-point racers. That means 40% of horses running over jumps in Ireland are ex-point-to-point racers so the two sectors are inextricably linked. Horses run point-to-point races and go on to race on the track, and there are many races at the track for point-to-point racers, which are called hunter chases. Many of the best jockeys, trainers and officials come through the point-to-point sector. There is a duplication in the registration of point-to-point racers in that one must register if a horse is to run in point-to-point races and on the track. That is proposed to be rationalised or streamlined in this process. That is the only change envisaged in point-to-point races.

With regard to court cases or potential cases, we are involved with one currently because there is a High Court appeal against the Turf Club, which has the potential to go to the Supreme Court. The board of Horse Racing Ireland holds the view that the Turf Club must defend its authority to enforce its rules. We have always provided a contingency fund of €250,000 per year for unforeseen legal costs such as this and I see this as the case in future. The Bill envisages that the Turf Club will continue to have sources of income which will be collected by Horse Racing Ireland. It envisages that the rates of that income or charges on licensees will be decided by the Turf Club and the money will be transferred back to the Turf Club. It would be illogical for two bodies to be out of synchronisation on a policy they may have for charges on clients, with one body trying to reduce the cost to participants in the sport but the other trying to raise them. With the legislation, the issue would become part of an annual budget discussion subject to check and balance from an arbitration system if necessary. None of us wants to visit the High Court on a regular basis but it happens in racing and the legislation makes provision for that. If we consider the record of Horse Racing Ireland with issues like that, it has always supported the Turf Club in carrying out its integrity role. It is in Horse Racing Ireland's best interest to do that.