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

That is great. Mr. Kavanagh knows the argument I have made in that regard.

Mr. Kavanagh has acknowledged the central role of the smaller racecourses, and I welcome that. They generally attract good attendances at flagship meetings. As I said to him, Senator Paul Daly will outline, as chairman of our local course in Kilbeggan, the tremendous amount of work done there. The course is trying to attract people, including families on group outings, people on business outings and everyone else, while ensuring the ordinary person has a chance to get access to the course for a very reasonable price. The same goes for the courses in Sligo, Roscommon, Clonmel, Thurles and Ballinrobe. I visit them all and they represent good value.

I spoke extensively here about point-to-point and the Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill. I do not know what Mr. Kavanagh's view is, but I did not want HRI to be controlled in the rigid fashion originally proposed in the legislation. I set my face against it and I am glad I did so. Point-to-point is the seedbed of the national hunt industry, and we welcome the funding increases for it. These are the real stalwarts of the racing industry. They are the groups of volunteers without whom some of our greatest horses would never have been seen. Kilworth and Fowlers Field years ago and the Shillelagh, Castletown Geoghegan, Kilkenny West and Oldcastle are the places where the real racing aficionados are down at the bottom, and it is important that HRI continues to support the point-to-point industry.

As I said, encouragement of syndicates, ownerships and partnerships will be very important, and the reduction of costs in this area is critical. I wish to raise a point with Mr. Kavanagh in this regard. Perhaps he will not agree with me but perhaps he might now that money has become plentiful again. There should be no need for a charge for renewal of colours every year. If one's colours are the same in 2016 as in 2017, why should HRI get any more money for that? There is also a charge to confirm one's trainer even if he or she remains the very same. These are little petty costs on people. The declaration fee is another that drives me mad. Mr. Kavanagh might not think it is much, but one can make a declaration and then the horse gets sick or some other bloody thing happens, and one still must pay. These are irritants, especially during the downtime. They are all very big cuts. I ask HRI to try to do something in these areas. However, I acknowledge and welcome the work that has been done, as I said.

The Curragh is a big development. Mr. Kavanagh said very little money has gone into it up to now and that it will see a significant capital investment. It is a beacon for flat racing.

There have been significant developments regarding Champions Weekend, as I said. I know HRI does much promotion and other work during this fairly important flagship weekend, but the crowd capacity will only be about 6,500, as I understand it. Maybe I am wrong. Is that for 2017? Is that not a failure of forward-thinking? This is the biggest weekend for money promotion. Very often that money goes abroad, but that is neither here nor there. HRI wants Champions Weekend to be a major flagship event. I know HRI has decided all its plans for 2017 by now, but surely to God it can consider this for 2018. I am sure the work will not be finished in 2018, seeing as it is such a major development, but surely HRI can remedy and revise this.

I will finish with this. I thank the Chairman and Deputy Martin Kenny for letting me in.