Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will take up the comments on harness racing. The point has been made that the Department delayed or had some mischievous intent to delay the publication of the report. This was not the case. We commissioned the report in good faith and we recognise the potential of the IHRA to become the kind of body with which we can engage in a structured way and into which we confidently invest taxpayers' money. The clear inference here, however, is that the IHRA is not currently that kind of body. The Indecon report states that its identification of a seed funding requirement of €770,000 is conditional on the IHRA delivering on a number of matters, including a five-year strategic plan, which has not been received, and a costed programme identifying the specific target areas for expenditure and what the return would be on that investment. What the Department is saying here is that we have a fund and a document on which we can make progress. In all honesty, however, I cannot at this point commit taxpayers' money to an organisation that Indecon has clearly indicated is not one we could work with, at least not in its current manifestation. The IHRA people I met recognised, in fairness to them, that they still have a journey ahead. If the association can move and deliver on all of these conditions very quickly, we will have to assess at that point if is fit for purpose.

What we are open to doing, however, is engaging with them. We, too, see public gain in the issues raised by the members, particularly when it comes to welfare, and as a signal of good faith we are in fact committing to continuing and to expanding the funding we already make available in the areas of harness racing, horse welfare, and the involvement of the Traveller community. We are signalling good faith but we are also acknowledging, and it would be remiss of us to do otherwise, the fact that Indecon has said that the Irish Harness Racing Association is not fit for purpose in its current form. The IHRA has itself recognised that and recognised that it has a journey before it when it comes to corporate governance, drawing up a five-year plan, and so on. There is an open door to this in the Department. I have met representatives of the IHRA already and we have officials ready to engage with them to reach the point where we can have confidence in committing public funds.

Senator Mac Lochlainn referred to the Horse Sport Ireland, HSI, to the Indecon report, and to the additional funding of less than €500,000 that HSI received this year. We need to be aware, however, that HSI is a State body that has been in existence for more than ten years. Specific deliverables are required to draw down that funding and we have clearly stated that that additional funding is contingent on the implementation of the reform outlined in the Indecon report for HSI. We are using the same yardstick here. I acknowledge the potential of the harness racing sector and we have the basis on which to proceed. The enthusiasm of the people I met is infectious. They are very committed and I appreciate that they have been putting their own resources into this. We must equally acknowledge, however, that if we are to commit substantial public funds to the initial request for €770,000, we have to be sure that we have a structure in which we can have confidence. Our only requirement is that the IHRA now deliver on the Indecon requirements.