Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a balance for us to strike in order that we are not overly prescriptive in the legislation and do not tie people's hands. Horse Racing Ireland, HRI is answerable to this committee and will continue to be so. The important role of the owners also needs to be borne in mind by HRI in everything it does. The owners fund a very significant portion of everything that happens and are a key constituency. While I can understand the difficulty with legislating specifically for HRI, in broader terms I think all the members of the joint committee would feel very strongly that the role of owners always needs to be remembered and maintained. After the horse and greyhound fund, their very valuable input is crucial to all the jobs that are involved in the racing and breeding industry.