Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It would depend on where the land was, but I appreciate that it is in Tipperary. All Wexford land is probably worth approximately €30,000 per acre. I still think, however, that there has to be a better system. This could be a complete disaster. It could be cost a lot more money. From previous experience, in purchases by different entities, for instance, in the education sector, we all recommended that there should be more than one valuation. That is something to bear in mind going forward.

Mr. O'Loughlin is new to IHRB and I will have a certain level of forgiveness for him, but I have to agree with my colleague. I come from a county where and horse sport epitomises rural Ireland. It is the biggest part of it. The integrity of the sector is what drives it. I acknowledge that the tender process is a slow process, but we are approximately five years behind. This has all been said, but I expect that this time next year the 25 racecourses will be up and running with cameras. I do not want to have another scandal reported in the sector because the IHRB has not carried out its function. I will put that on Mr. O'Loughlin for next year. That is the timeline he is getting from me as a member of the Committee on Public Accounts. There should not be only two racecourses done. The last time we heard from the IHRB, there were still two, if not one. That is still not progress. I appreciate that while the first fix may be done, I want the final fix to be done in 12 months because that is value for money for the sector.

The other issue I want to raise I have raised previously. This sector is suffering greatly in respect of insurance costs. I asked Ms Eade's predecessor, who told me that he had made representations to different Departments regarding the insurance difficulties. Whilst this may not be the remit of HRI, I believe that it should be. If the sector does not survive, HRI will have no function. At the moment the industry is under such serious pressure securing insurance cover, particularly for point-to-point meetings. I want proof that there have been representations from HRI. I want to see who it is has written to, what the response was and the efforts it is making so that that sector survives and so that HRI's funding is worthwhile. It is paramount to the continuation of the sector, particularly in rural Ireland. A stakeholder group should be set up within HRI to look after these issues. I say this because it is not getting better, but worse. The sector is not functioning correctly without it.