Mr. John Moloney:

I am chairman of the Association of Irish Racecourses and last year retired as manager of Galway racecourse. I have been on the board of Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, since December 2010. I am grateful to have the opportunity to appear before the committee.

I have two simple points which I would like to make. First, there is no question in my mind that Ministers were not intentionally misled. The committee heard from the chairman, Mr. Keeling, and I would like to speak as one of the other board members. I have been on the board throughout the process and it is worth noting that five of the current board members were also members in September 2011 when the chief executive officer’s previous contract was concluded. It is a board which represents all sectors of the industry. From 2011, I was aware that there were outstanding issues with the chief executive officer’s contract. I was satisfied that the chairman was dealing with the relevant Departments and would come back to the board when he was ready to do so. The preference of the board would have always been to receive permission to extend the chief executive officer’s contract. However, all options could be considered once the position of the Department was known.

The legislation is clear. It is a function of the board to appoint the chief executive officer. At our last meeting the chairman brought the board through all of the correspondence on this matter, including the various letters and meetings with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have read all of these letters and I am satisfied that they reflect the wishes of the board. At our meeting on Tuesday, 27 September, the board agreed that there was no intention to incorrectly inform the Minister, nor had the board’s views been misrepresented. I am clear that I was not misled and do not believe the board was misled. I accept that the timing and communication could have been better, from which there are lessons to be learned.

There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Brian Kavanagh is the correct person to fill the position at this time. I have worked with him for several years and witnessed him doing his job at first hand. He has been particularly helpful to racecourses in securing new media rights deals and helping to create racecourse capital development funds. The job is a complex one, with many stakeholders and interests to be managed, and requires a knowledge of and expertise in all aspects of the racing, breeding and betting sectors. Mr. Kavanagh possesses this knowledge and experience and is well respected in international racing circles. His reappointment has been broadly welcomed within the industry.

We all regret the fact that this situation has developed. There is no doubt that the process could have been managed better, but I am confident the measures that the board has now put in place will ensure it will not happen again.