Mr. Denis Duggan:

I extend our thanks to Deputy Cahill in his absence and the members of the committee for the invitation to discuss Horse Sport Ireland and our role in the future strategy for the sport horse industry. I will move straight to the powerpoint presentation that is in front of everyone.

We will move on to our role in the next slide. As the committee will be aware, the industry comprises quite a number of activities, including breeding, competition and overall promotion of equestrian sport, and those fall within the remit of Horse Sport Ireland. We recognise the industry’s potential and have worked towards developing a robust strategy, which was developed in 2019 with five pillars. Members can see our mission and vision on screen.

Moving to the next slide, we have five pillars and I will take members through each one. We went through an exercise where we refocused coming out of the pandemic and reprioritised within these five pillars, but we have not changed the five pillars.

In the context of leading the sector, the sport horse sector represents the very essence of our heritage: our harmonious blend of our deep-rooted love of horses and our rich agricultural tradition. From the emerald fields of Kildare to the Golden Vale of Tipperary to the spirited competitions in the Royal Dublin Society, RDS, many members will be aware that the industry resonates with our collective spirit, defining Ireland’s identity as we compete and win on the international stage.

In the context of a rapidly changing world, it is imperative that we adapt our strategies to ensure a prosperous future for our sport horse industry. We stand on the cusp of unprecedented opportunities but also face formidable challenges that demand our undivided attention.

First and foremost, we must recognise that this sport is not merely a source of entertainment or economic value, but is an embodiment of our dedication to equine welfare, principles of sustainable land management and the preservation of rural communities. Our commitment to these principles will guide our decisions and actions as we forge ahead. To that end, under the “leading the sector” pillar, Horse Sport Ireland is prioritising the development of a five-year action plan to roll out genomic breeding programmes and the modernisation of our equine database and processing systems in preparation for e-passporting developments and solutions - and all with the prioritisation of best practice and strong scientific approaches.

We are also determined to lead on social licence. Later this year, Horse Sport Ireland, in partnership with the British Equestrian Federation, will publish a sustainability and environmental roadmap for the equestrian industry in Britain and Ireland. The Irish dimensions of this research have been supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It will recognise many of the challenges the industry faces as we begin to educate, inform and adapt towards the challenges of net-zero carbon in 2050.

At international level, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, FEI, our international governing body, has established the FEI ethics and well-being commission. This commission will report to the FEI on its work to date in late November 2023. In tandem with that international work, later this year Horse Sport Ireland will establish a working group of experts to develop a baseline of data relevant to social licence to operate.

The committee will be well aware of the issues across other industries in the context of the social licence, and the equestrian world is no different. The group aims to report in 2024 and develop an industry report and action plan to protect the social licence of equestrianism in Ireland.

Many of our recommendations in the Reaching New Heights report, with which members may be familiar, are substantially completed. The industry report was developed in 2014 and will expire in 2024–2025. HSI will engage with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, stakeholders and partners on a review of Reaching New Heights and the development of the next long-term framework for the industry.

Our next pillar is developing a sustainable funding model. Members may be aware of our organisation's funding model. Our funding is primarily from Sport Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and we also have some commercial income. Almost €5 million in funding comes annually from the Department, with €1.5 allocated towards overheads and €3 million in grants administered by the organisation on behalf of the Department. Approximately €2 million is available in high-performance-sport funding and core funding from Sport Ireland, with additional funding from year to year for specific purposes, such as the sum of over €2.5 million allocated by Sport Ireland and administered by HSI to its affiliate bodies during the Covid pandemic. More than €550,000 was received by Showjumping Ireland from HIS through that fund. Sport Ireland also provides us with impact funding through competitive call processes that it manages. It is dedicated for high-performance sport only.

The third leg of the funding stool is the passporting function, which is licensed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on a purely commercial basis, generating approximately €1 million in revenue. I am referring to the passport registration processes and functions.

The third pillar is competing on the world stage. Our sporting teams compete on the world stage against national federations that are significantly more resourced. Show jumping and eventing were the first two sports in Ireland that saw people qualify for the Olympics in Paris in 2024. This is the first time in 50 years that our equestrian teams in both disciplines have qualified so early in the Olympic cycle. Our Olympic campaigns across showjumping, eventing, dressage and para-dressage have a budget of approximately €1 million annually, including €800,000 from Sport Ireland, for which we are very grateful, along with contributions from Showjumping Ireland, Eventing Ireland, Paralympics Ireland and Dressage Ireland.

While not directly an issue for the agriculture committee, the sports of jumping and eventing, particularly on the international stage, effectively comprise the shop window for the breeders and producers who benefit from the €3 million in funding we administer on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The challenge for HSI is always to secure significant corporate sponsorship to support our athletes who compete at the highest levels internationally, especially those who compete on Irish-bred horses. Our focus within the pillar of competing on the world stage in Paris in 2024, but with an eye on creating high-level action plans over the next 18 months for the Los Angeles and Brisbane Olympics in 2028 and 2032, respectively.

Members may be aware that, over recent years, a key priority for HSI within the pillar of competing on the world stage has been the provision of a centre of excellence. The organisation had identified Greenogue Equestrian as a possible centre of excellence. Discussions in 2020 and 2021 with Greenogue Equestrian concerned the creation of a long-term lease. The procurement advice received by HSI stated a lease was outside public procurement processes and that any improvement or construction works would have to be tendered. Planning permission was received for an office within Greenogue that would have enabled HSI to relocate staff from where it currently has its head office, Naas, to Greenogue. The cost model for the project involved no capital from State funds but entering a long-term lease was to give certainty to the developer, who would incur the cost of capital expenditure. Unfortunately, with rising construction costs, the funding model became unsustainable. As a result of a cost–benefit analysis and financial reviews and forecasts, the board of the organisation decided in July 2022 not to proceed with the project.

Building organisational capability is the fourth pillar of the organisation's strategy. This is internally focused and is first and foremost about building the security and stability of the organisation, but it is also about ensuring we have a solid position to ensure we have financial sustainability, streamlined operations and optimised resources. We must achieve this to ensure our valued staff have the necessary career-development opportunities, training and development, and culture, both internally and within our wider customer and stakeholder base, so we can attract and retain the talent we need in a competitive employment market to deliver on the services we offer to the industry. Building our organisational capability is a significantly important strategic pillar and includes the modernisation of our IT infrastructure to provide a digital-first approach for efficient, effective and speedy service delivery.

The next pillar is engaging with the equestrian community and diverse stakeholders. As committee members are no doubt aware, the equestrian community is vast and diverse. It reaches into almost every parish in the country. There are tens of thousands of people, from young children to adults, involved weekly in everything from learning to ride in the 163 riding centres approved by the Association of Irish Riding Establishments to competing at amateur and professional levels in sports competitions every weekend around the country. Our priority in HSI is to ensure the community can participate in equestrian sport through our network of 30 affiliated organisations. To that end, HSI administers participation funding, provided by Sport Ireland, to support specific participation projects within those affiliated organisations.

Members may also be aware that in 2022 the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine tendered for operators to provide studbook services for five studbooks, to provide national breeding services and to market the sport horse industry. HSI was the incumbent in all cases and successfully secured the contract to continue to provide studbook services and national breeding services. The Irish Horse Board Co-Operative Society won the tender to provide marketing services for the Irish sport horse sector.

We hope our presentation and opening statement have given members a flavour of the journey of innovation, sustainability and engagement that we are embracing. By leveraging our organisation's expertise, embracing emerging technologies and safeguarding the welfare of horses, in particular, we will continue to build a thriving and resilient industry that brings pride, prosperity, and joy to our nation, especially on the field of play. HSI recognises the critical importance of developing a forward-looking strategy for the sport horse industry. We look forward to taking any questions members may have.