Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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This brings it back to owners and everything else. Owners buy the horses and pay the entry fees, the trainers' fees and the fees to HRI which first got my attention, and there was a flood of stuff into me about it, which is what got me angry with HRI. There are people with substantial expertise who are on the owners committee. I happen to have been an owner myself and was a member of the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners, AIRO. An owner may not be a board member because of the way the board is set up. Somebody who goes for election might not be the best Deputy, and the curate could be better than the parish priest. We may not have the person who is representing the particular owner's interests. By small owners I mean one and two person set-ups.

I do not understand why what worked in 1994, section 19(3), will not work now. There was never a complaint; the owners were happy. Willie Penrose might be the representative on the board but Deputy Martin Heydon might be the best person with the deep, intense, comprehensive knowledge of ownership and all that goes with it - fixtures, sponsorships, courses and all that. These people go around to all the courses. They keep those courses going. If the owner does not have the horse, close down the course.

I know myself from outside of owners that there is intense interest in this amendment. The Minister would not believe it. There is a need to ensure it is not restricted and that fixtures do not just have to be by board members. There is expertise. Of course the board has to deal with it, but there are going to be some members of the board on this fixture committee. Outside expertise is what we often get in to help us.