Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I asked two questions which were not specifically addressed. Arising from Mr. Kavanagh's response to some of the questions, he mentioned the international experience of harness or trotting racing in others countries, where they represented 3% or 5% of overall meetings. I understand that the IHRA's request would not even come close to the examples Mr. Kavanagh put before us in terms of what it would like to see as an interim solution in the advancement of its own sport. I refer back to the Dundalk meeting that was facilitated, which was very successful in terms of pounds, shillings and pence. The IHRA requires that kind of support if it is going to improve the integrity of its sport in terms of compliance, which Mr. Bolger says is good at any rate. If the IHRA was successful in getting an interim solution and increasing the number of meetings it could hold, where would it come in the international standards Mr. Kavanagh quoted in terms of a league table of meetings?

I asked if HRI felt threatened by a very successful IHRA or harness racing sector. Would it be financially threatened in the long term? Would it feel some discomfort in its finances if the IHRA were to become a very successful organisation? I did not attend the last meeting of the joint committee but I got the transcript and read that a meeting was planned in Killarney which did not go ahead. The implication in the transcript seemed to be that HRI was to blame for the meeting not going ahead, but no reason was given. I am coming to that because it is just hanging there. If HRI stopped the meeting, was there a reason for that? What engagement did it have with the board or management of Killarney Racecourse?