Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the delegation. According to the opening statement, there are encouraging signs of growth with the figure for horses-in-training up 3.5%, active owners increased 8.5% in the first six months of the year and new owners registered were up 9.5% while betting with on-course bookmakers rose by 11.5% in the first half of the year. That is very positive from an industry perspective. Later, Mr. Kavanagh stated racing is a "vulnerable rural industry" but those figures does not seem to bear this out, notwithstanding the issue of Brexit, to which I will return. Can the delegation explain that a little?

The value of the industry is set out. It provides approximately 1,200 jobs, direct and indirect, in the four midlands counties. On Brexit, the statement suggested that British Government policy might try to tailor everything in such a way as to give the British horse racing industry a push ahead of the Irish sector. With 80% of exports going to Britain, that has implications. If Britain is going to put in place domestic policies that aggressively advantage the British breeding industry, as one would expect, what can be done here to counter that?

What is the location of the all-weather track that is being planned?

On the betting tax, HRI said the 2% increase brought in an additional €50 million. Is there room for a further increase in the tax?