Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In the horse racing sector, the allocation from the State is €76 million from the horse and greyhound racing fund. The horse racing sector contributes €1.84 billion to the economy with 28,500 people employed by it. Up to 13,000 people derive an economic benefit from the greyhound sector.

There is ongoing engagement every year between the Department, as the main shareholder, and the bodies involved. We have a shareholder letter of expectation and engagement with both of them. There are regular governance meetings within the bodies themselves. There is oversight by the Comptroller and Auditor General as well as by the Oireachtas and this committee. The bodies submit reports at the end of the year outlining expenditure, activities and results. There is certainly much accountability and transparency in place.

Deputies Carthy and Martin Browne can feed into how the funding is spent through the committee. All those in the horse racing and greyhound racing would engage with one another and feed in their views and considerations. Both organisations in question have obligations to take on board any advice and feedback in that regard to ensure they are organised as best as possible to get the maximum return on the investment made in them.

That opportunity is there. I have no doubt that any ideas Deputy Carthy has to better support that would be welcome.

The Deputy made the point about the arbitrary nature of the 80:20 ratio of funds. That is how it has been since it was established. It is arbitrary. Like any organisation, both organisations have to make the most of the funding they receive and get the best value from that.

On animal welfare, both organisations take this seriously. There has been a particular focus on the greyhound sector in the last year or two, including Government and Oireachtas engagement with the sector and the work of Rásaíocht Con Éireann. There has been agreement that a minimum of 10% of funding it receives would go towards specific welfare measures. Deputy Martin Browne also raised that point. If one looks at what that involves, the last year or two has seen the establishment of a separate greyhound care fund, a Covid-19 greyhound care payment scheme during the cessation of racing activity during 2020, the progression of the traceability provisions of the Greyhound Racing Act 2019 to devise a traceability model and a draft of those statutory regulations. Greyhound care centres were established, the first of which opened on 28 October in Tipperary. There are also financial incentives for the rehoming of greyhounds through additional supports through the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, which was established and is operated by Rásaíocht Con Éireann. There was an extension and increase of support under the RCÉ's foster care scheme to identify new foster homes in Ireland for retired greyhounds. There are financial supports for rehoming agencies, the introduction of a greyhound injury support scheme to provide financial assistance to aid injured greyhounds to continue with a healthy life; the establishment of a confidential phone line to enable reports of welfare breaches to be reported for investigation by relevant agencies, an intensification of the inspection regimes of greyhound establishments and the rehoming of retired greyhounds in the US through Greyhound Pets of America, Finding Loving Irish Greyhounds Homes Together, FLIGHT, and Flying Irish Greyhounds, FIG. There have been significant developments in the last year or two and while there is a 10% obligation on Rásaíocht Con Éireann in the funding it has received for specific welfare measures, it intends to exceed that. It is underpinned by the new Greyhound Racing Act 2019, which was important legislation in providing a thorough and robust regulatory system for oversight under which greyhound racing can operate. That gives a flavour.

Deputy Carthy raised prize money and where it goes. Some 60% of the funding goes towards prize money. In the horse sector, that is generally paid to six to eight finishers. The Deputy is correct that there is an argument that prize money is very significant to the profile of the industry in its international competitiveness, which is a very important part of ensuring we are world leaders in the horse racing sector. Many of the reports and much of the feedback and expertise would say that it is important it is underpinned in that way. As I pointed out earlier, the €76 million State investment contributes to an overall economic benefit of €1.84 billion in horse racing, which is very significant. It is open to this committee or anyone to come forward with ideas that would help grow the industry and ensure it thrives and gets best value for investment. That is central to how both organisations operate and make their considerations. If the Deputy has any specific ideas on this, they would be welcome.

Deputy Martin Browne made similar points to Deputy Carthy on how the money is spent.

As he says, it is a very significant industry in Tipperary and one the Deputy would like to see supported. He made the point about the importance of welfare, which I covered.

Overall, there is a lot of common ground on the need to ensure that the funding is well spent, that it underpins both industries, and that they are supported at this particularly difficult time, given the pressures both sectors have had with Covid. Most race meetings happening behind closed doors has meant there has been a significant collapse in income as a result of spectators not being able to attend. That was a particular challenge last year and there will be further challenges in the year ahead. In horse racing for example, the Christmas race meetings in Leopardstown are a really significant event in the racing calendar. The cancellation of that event alone will see a €3 to €4 million loss to the horse racing sector, not to mention other local events that look unlikely to happen in the earlier part of 2021.