Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the representatives and I have noted their submissions with interest. The representatives of both associations have made a case for having more members on the board and those views must be seriously considered. What we must figure out is how many people should be on board. The number proposed is 12. Is there any major reason, for argument's sake, that the number could not be 15? The other consideration is the divvying out of the seats. Have the representatives a view on the overall size of the board? Is 12 the maximum number or could it be increased? I hate when somebody comes in and says they want one seat allocated among three or four bodies that have no connection. The stable employees are very different from the jockeys; they have completely different roles in racing just as the owners have. I do not understand the logic of the measure in the scheme of the Bill providing that "one [member] shall be nominated by jockeys, stable employees and persons employed in the horseracing industry being the chairman of the industry service committee". The representatives might clarify whether that means that three groups will have one seat.