Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation. Looking from the outside, the association is providing the facilities. Some of the tracks are excellent. I attended them as a young fellow when the Lawlors were catering around the country in a good number of tracks and latterly as an enjoyer of the facilities provided. In fairness, some of the tracks have made a huge effort to get as many punters, as Mr. Cox would call them, through the gate to use the facilities. Certain tracks have used the funding available from the Government to improve their facilities.

With regard to the grants, what percentage does each race track have to provide to get a grant? Is the amount from the State 50-50 or 60-40? Who decides which race tracks get grants if every race track puts in an application? At the end of the day, who decides who gets the grants? Do some of the HRI tracks need to provide funding from their own sources rather than another source within HRI? I am trying to see that all tracks are treated fairly rather than some tracks being treated differently.

I am a bit concerned about the control HRI might have over the fixtures. I appreciate the fact that the association has a fair say in the fixtures.

That is important. I am concerned, however, that it is a carrot-and-stick situation. If a racecourse does not comply with what the HRI says, the stick is that it will lose a fixture, which is a vital source of funding. Is this being applied equally across the sector?

Have racecourses investigated alternative sources of funding? Every time I watch the races, I see that the starting gates are sponsored by Tote Ireland. That is ridiculous. As Tote Ireland is owned by HRI, funding is only being pushed from one source to another. Are racecourses allowed to pursue outside sources of funding, or is this strictly under the ownership of HRI? In the UK, different courses have different sponsorship arrangements. Tote Ireland has not been a major contributor to racecourses, even though it uses their facilities. Some racecourses, including that of Mr. Moloney, have got Tote Ireland to sponsor major races. Is it possible that betting companies such as Ladbrokes and Paddy Power make a better contribution than Tote Ireland?

Media rights are a major source of funding for the racing industry. The Petrus report indicates income of €42 million for racecourses, but that could include entrance fees, etc. How much are media rights worth to the racing industry? This has been addressed in previous legislation and may be difficult to change. Does the income go to HRI first before being distributed to the racecourses, or does it go directly from the media organisations to the racecourses?

HRI operates four tracks and has a major shareholding in a fifth. Is its position in respect of these tracks disproportionate to, for example, those in Roscommon, Kilbeggan or Naas? There has to be some sort of equity in this area.

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. I enjoy the facilities wherever I go, and I have been to most of the racecourses. It is one of my passions. There are ways of getting the €50 that a punter brings to a racecourse. One can take it all at the gate and the punter may never return, or one can charge a nominal sum for entry so that the punter will have a great day spending the money and will return in the future. That is how I consider the matter. We need to attract a new type of racegoer. Some racecourses are doing their best to draw in racegoers, but I do not think they are getting a just reward for the efforts they are investing.