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

I thank Deputy Cahill for his observations and questions. He began by commenting on the greyhound industry. It has been a challenging period for the industry. The industry and Bord na gCon are well aware that their viability into the future, both economically and in terms of the support not just of those who attend but the public generally, which is critical, is contingent on them embracing the integrity, welfare and governance issues. To be fair to them, they were proactive in the debate that took place prior to the passing of the legislation. They were asking, in effect, for the toolbox to enable them to meet these challenges. I thank the committee for its support with the legislation. There is a changed environment with that legislation passed and we are in a position to deal with those issues. I am glad to see the response of the board since then, particularly with respect to the welfare of greyhounds. It is something the legislation provides for, but the board has responded to it as well. The Deputy referred to the financial support and so forth through the IRGT and apportioning a proportion of the gate and restaurant receipts and so forth. There will also be greater conditionality in our funding to ensure that these important issues are addressed.

The Deputy also spoke about freedom of movement and the UK leaving the EU. That is a significant challenge. The equine sector is governed by a tripartite arrangement, which predates our entry into the European Union, on the movement of high value bloodstock in the equine industry between France, the UK and Ireland. To have a relationship that is as seamless as possible post Brexit, we have had to examine how we can facilitate the continuation of this industry, for which the interaction between the three jurisdictions is very important. While the system will not be as we know it today, we are doing everything we can to ensure continued movement through border inspection posts. Most of that high value bloodstock is either flown or goes through approved border inspection posts, be they at Shannon Airport, Dublin Airport, Dublin Port or Rosslare. This is in the context of new investments in infrastructure being made for the post-Brexit period. It is also contingent on the UK being listed as an approved third country for equine movements after its departure. I expect that will be the case. The UK will be required to have health certification, conditionality regarding residence periods and so forth, but I am satisfied that everything that can be done is being done to ensure the industry continues in the best way possible, while acknowledging it will not be same as it is now.

Irish harness racing is a long-standing issue and there has been a great deal of engagement. As a consequence of that engagement, considerable funds have been spent by the Department in receipted expenditure on the commissioning of plans, the Indecon report and so forth on the industry. We have spent in excess of €100,000. We recognise that there is potential in this regard. Deputy Darragh O'Brien and some of my party colleagues have been in contact with me about it. There are pockets of interest in this issue. There is an interest in north County Dublin and there is an interest in my area of west Cork. There is an interest in other pockets around the country. There is potential in the sector.

Deputy Corcoran Kennedy asked whether it was all-island in nature. It is an interesting question. The Indecon report, if I recall it correctly, made an observation on the desirability of having an all-island, uniform approach to it. I am not aware of any jurisdictional support from outside this State, but I am subject to correspondence from the industry in Northern Ireland to say it is not part of the IHRA. Be that as it may, I acknowledge the association has an issue with its access to the track it currently uses. It is in ongoing engagement with Fingal County Council on the possibility of alternative track provision. There was engagement in the past week or ten days with officials in the Department and we are awaiting further submissions from the association regarding its ambition. Details must be worked out as to where that ambition can be delivered in respect of a site. The tenure it has where it currently races is not secure so that must be resolved. We have supported it in terms of standards in the sector. That is important and, to be fair, the association has delivered on its side of that support. However, there is another question. We would like the industry to survive and prosper and will do what we can in that context, but there is the question of what Department should fund sporting investment, stadia and so forth, which is where the next phase of this development should be. It is not a core function of my Department to provide funding for stadium development. The responsibility is elsewhere in that regard.

What generates the interest in the context of this annual event for the HGRF is that people look at it and say these are horses and that they would like a piece of the action HRI gets. However, what we are delivering here is in compliance with the legislation. The fund is available not to the sport horse sector, for example, Horse Sport Ireland. This is for the HRI thoroughbred sector. The funding the Department gives to Horse Sport Ireland, which received an increase significantly above what anybody else got this year in a very difficult budgetary situation, reflects the fact that there are many constituent members in Horse Sport Ireland. This is another sport horse in many ways. I am not sure what relationship the IHRA has with Horse Sport Ireland but the latter works with various disciplines in the equine sector outside of the thoroughbred sector.

That is to give the context in terms of the HGRF. Under the current law, it is not at our discretion to give some of the fund to, for example, Horse Sport Ireland or the IHRA. We are constrained by what the law provides in respect of the fund.

The association is probably agnostic about how it should be funded as long as it is funded, be it through the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, in terms of sport infrastructure and stadium development, or another body. This is, in effect, what its engagement with us is about now. I hope there will be circumstances in which the organisation migrates successfully to a site provided by Fingal County Council, if that is possible, and that the provision of the infrastructure, in terms of the stadium, can be achieved through the sports capital section of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. We continue to engage with the Department on how we might be of assistance. It is not a core function of my Department. HRI invests the money it receives from the HGRF as it sees fit to develop the thoroughbred sector. It is not for us, through the fund, to say some of it should go to harness racing. It is not provided for by the law at present. I hope that provides some clarity on the issue.