Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

From looking at the response of the IHRB, anyone would think the provision of CCTV was progressing or proceeding perfectly as normal. This is going back to 2017 and those responsible have one done.

You are right, Chairman. It comes back to the integrity of Irish horse racing. We have to ask questions at this stage given that we have had representatives before us and we have had engagement. Why would those responsible not seek to speed up the delivery of CCTV given that it would protect the integrity of the sport? What is the reason for the delay? There must be some reason the provision of CCTV is not one of the priorities of the regulatory board. In itself that leads to questions. Those responsible seem to have been dragging their heels a little from the get-go, even to the extent that they transferred money that had been allocated for CCTV for another online portal, which raises serious questions.

The correspondence addresses my reference to the online integrity portal. The board seems to take issue with my language. I wish to point out on the record that my language relating to the online integrity portal was the same as the language used by the chief executive of HRI at the meeting of this committee. Perhaps Mr. Egan might like to check the transcripts of that meeting to satisfy himself.

I can see from the work plan that the work of the regulatory board has been added. Each time HRI and the regulatory board have been before the committee I have found it frustrating. I suggested at a previous private meeting that both organisations should come in together side by side so that one cannot fob off a question or say it is a matter for the other. If we have representatives of both organisations in side by side, it might help us in our work. Perhaps in the latter part of this year we might include both on the same day on our work plan.