Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The only issue under discussion which is relevant to what Deputy Penrose has been saying is whether we prescribe in legislation to require HRI to put someone from the racehorse owners association onto the media rights committee or whether we trust HRI as a board to be able to put a balanced committee of five people together. That is the only issue. The view I have taken so far has been that HRI is responsible and answerable to the joint committee and elsewhere. It needs to make sensible, balanced decisions and we should trust it to do so rather than prescribe to it who should be on the committee.

I take the point that others have made. Nothing happens without owners of horses paying the bills. We are talking about the negotiation and management of media rights, which is a complex area in which we should be raising a lot of money for horse racing in the future. It requires specific expertise. This is what will fund a lot of the racetracks throughout Ireland as well as a lot of the prize money and the promotion of racing. We need five people on the media rights committee who know what they are doing. Prescribing who those people are or where they come from is a bit of blunt tool for primary legislation. I would rather have the HRI board members in here and give them a bit of a grilling in terms of the basis for their five appointments to the media rights committee.

It is a slightly different approach. I do not disagree that owners are very important to the overall mix. Whether one is an owner or someone with other interests in the racing industry, the most important thing is that we get right the issue of media rights and that we have a committee that makes good recommendations and ensures we are not missing any opportunities. Ultimately this is an opportunity to raise a lot of money for the sector. I do not want to get distracted by other issues. I take the point that people are making, but I would be very surprised if one of the five was not a racehorse owner. I want to put a bit of faith in HRI to make a balanced decision.