Ms Suzanne Eade:

Obviously, 2020 and 2021 were tough in terms of attendances. However, one of the stronger points for racecourses during that period was the strength of the media rights, particularly streaming. When Ireland was the only team in town racing, that was very good for our racecourses, which upped their streaming. Apart from that, the Curragh management have been strong in reducing costs. They really went after that in the past year or two.

What concerns me for the Curragh and all racecourses going into the future is the cost of living and the cost of putting on the lights, heating and all that stuff. That will be a big drain as we approach 2023. The big hit for the Curragh at the moment is the depreciation, which is more than €4 million annually. They will have to get much more income other than racecourse attendances to fill that gap. This year they made a cash profit. Depending, again, on the fuel crisis for the remainder of the year, I would expect that they will hit their committed budget in 2022. As I said, I am concerned about the impact on the racecourse's energy bills next year, as I am for every racecourse.