Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 23 November 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will give figures on the thoroughbred side as well. Some 20% of the funding allocation to Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, must be applied to integrity services.

There is ongoing engagement throughout the year. The Department has a strong oversight function with regard to how this funding is spent and to engagement with HRI and RCÉ. With respect to how the funding is spent and the plans for that, they engage with the Department to agree it and we oversee it. As the Deputy stated at the outset, this funding is unlike almost any other funding because of its nature and because of the Act.

The level of scrutiny afforded to this funding, both here and in the Dáil, is greater than that relating to probably other budget line.