Ms Caroline Ball:

We took the committee's recommendation into account and gathered information relating to the governance structures of horse racing organisations in other jurisdictions. We have given the examples of what happens in Britain, France and Japan. We also liaised with individuals in the US. We found that other major horse racing jurisdictions had a variety of approaches, with each approach appropriate to the jurisdiction in question. The Department arrived at the belief that the existing model in Ireland, underpinned by Irish legislation, is the best fit for this country. There is existing legislation and a service level agreement between the IHRB and HRI, which is the State body with responsibility for thoroughbred horse racing. We believe that provides a sound framework on which to base the regulation of the industry. However, it is acknowledged that governance practices in all organisations should be reviewed and developed. To that end, the IHRB has committed to complying with the stringent requirements of the code of practice for the governance of State bodies. Having considered all of that, the Department's conclusion was that the existing model, underpinned by Irish legislation, is the best fit for this country.