Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have referred to this on a number of occasions and do not want to bore everybody to death, including myself. We got into this argument previously. It might be a bit Jesuitical but it is important. This is extremely important for the local committees. I agree the services should exclude the issuing and registration of hunter certificates. Leaving the registration of hunter certificates with the HRI is not consistent with the tone and tenor of the statements the Minister has made here and I accept them. It is a matter of wording and it may be a matter of understanding the particular functions. The issuing of the certificate goes first to the person, then to the master of the hunt and then back to the INHS committee as the Minister said. I was hoping that process would remain the same notwithstanding that HRI has all the other functions. I want to recognise the important role the tremendous activists in the point-to-point steeplechase area have played and the service they have given. We should not denude them of something to say we have achieved a big centralisation pot. Centralisation is not the panacea for everything. There are lots of things about centralisation that we wish we had never done and I do not think we should rush to do it in this regard. I urge the Minister to look at this issue again.