Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a question for the Racegoers Consultative Forum on the composition of the board. I refer to head No. 4 of the Bill. The board is to comprise a chairman and 12 members. Other groups have asked for a bigger number of board members. I suggest we meet the delegates in the near future to discuss this matter.

I refer to the age profile of those attending racecourses. I ask Mr. Philip Meaney how Bord na gCon can get more younger people through the gates. I have been attendng race meetings for years; I went as a youngster and a teenager. If I go to my local track, Gowran Park, or the dog track in Kilkenny, there will not be many young people there. The industry will die if it does not get the support it needs. People can bet on-line or go to a bookies.

However, the industry also needs to have people coming through the turnstiles.

Deputy Anthony Lawlor referred to admission charges. Racecourse owners might be better off letting people in for free on certain days, as already happens in some cases, in order to encourage higher attendance rates. I have been to flat race meetings at Gowran Park on summer evenings where there might be only 150 people in attendance. Without the income from media rights, these attendance levels are not sustainable. How do the delegates, as representatives of the industry, propose to attract more people to attend race meetings? It is important, moreover, that there be an emphasis on attracting young people. When people start to attend race meetings at a young age, they are likely to continue to do so throughout their lives. On the other hand, if most young people are never brought to the tracks, the industry could die.