Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage

10:00 am

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand the Deputy's point. I have no problem. If it is the correct wording, I will change it. Amendment No. 50 is a minor amendment to the wording that allows HRI to take into consideration the receipts of the racing regulatory body when determining its budget for the year, but it allows it some additional flexibility in this regard where particular needs arise. We need to show some flexibility in this area. The racing regulatory body needs to run itself and has some functions outside integrity. It is a reasonable amendment.

Regarding amendment No. 51, as part of any budget process, likely income and expected expenditure must be calculated in order that the budget can be agreed with HRI. It would not be prudent to permit deductions from current income for expected future expenditure. This would be likely to give rise to difficult budget negotiations, if not completely undermine the budgetary process. It would be wiser to leave the existing budgetary arrangements intact and the only effect of subsection (2) would be that HRI would have information from its receipts which it may use in subsequent budget discussions.

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