Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the officials from the Department. Deputy Browne mentioned the "Panorama" programme. I could go on for the full remaining hour about last night's "Panorama" programme. Without being flippant, I am conscious that we convened today with a different agenda, which was formed prior to the airing of last night's programme. However, I would hate to miss the opportunity to get the bottom, or as close to it as possible, of the accusations of doping. I will concentrate on that. We may have to have a separate, stand-alone meeting on last night's programme. There are many unanswered questions. As a horse owner, I had a pit in my stomach last night watching the programme. I could only visualise my own horse. The vast majority of owners would look at it in that way. There are questions to be answered on last night's programme. If there is time at the end, the Department might comment on how horse agents are registered. Are they registered or licensed? There are many questions to be answered which were not asked of horse agents, hauliers, and both the proprietors and management of the abattoir in question.

I want to move back to the agenda, which was on the recent articles with accusations of doping. I have a few questions for the Department. It was in its submission to us, and it is a historical fact, that the Turf Club was founded in 1790. That was under a different administration. Which came first? Was it the chicken or the egg? We had a Turf Club and we had horse racing before we had an Irish Department. If it is the monitoring and controlling body, how did that relationship evolve? It had a stronger foundation. The Department might comment on how it thinks things evolved there. Who has control of the situation?

I want to go back to the well-documented issue of the quarter tonne of nitrotain that came in. That was an equivalent of 62,500 doses. Did the Department pursue where that went? Where were they administered? Does it have any idea in what establishments the horses were based? Where were 62,500 doses going? Where did they possibly even get to?

On the question of the zilpaterol, who brought the horse to France? If nobody brought the horse to France, would we have ever discovered that within our system? For how long could it have been going on? For how long could it have been prevalent? If the horse had not gone to France and if the French had not detected the drugs, for how long could it have been an issue here? How far behind the curve are we?

I presume the Department has a regulatory role for feed contact. Maybe it is a different section of Department but is it not analysing feed? It would be the source of the drug. We seem to be looking at the blood and urine samples of the horse. If the feed had been tested, the problem would have been solved straight away. How long would it have taken if the horse had not gone to France?

With a view to solutions to the issues at hand, to the issues highlighted by some people or to the accusations that have been made, what changes can we make going forward? What changes can the Department make? Could the Department comment on the role of the Irish Equine Centre in Johnstown. What role does the Department have there? A major capital development project has been put forward in plans by HRI. Does the Department believe we could possibly do our own testing on a national basis in the Irish Equine Centre in Johnstown? How well would that improve the control of doping, or suggestions of doping, here? We would not be exporting samples or using labs outside of Ireland if we had our own national lab in the Irish Equine Centre.

As I said, I do not mind questions on last night’s programme being deferred to the end. It is important we deal with what was on today’s agenda.