Mr. Robert Fagan:

Because we run a lot of these events, we are the ones who have to source that prize money, which is a huge challenge every year. Through sponsorship and support, we give €200,000 or €300,000 at different events throughout the year. To compare it to racing, racing does not have the same challenge we have.

As to what we want out of this meeting today, from the venues' point of view, we would like recognition on the board. We have an alliance. We are holding the party and we are putting our own hands in our pockets because we are passionate about it and because that is all we know. What we would hope to take from this today is that the venues could get either a memorandum of understanding or representation on the board of Horse Sport Ireland. It was referenced at the last meeting here by the CEO that we are a loose organisation. For the past six years, we have been an organisation and we have a memorandum of understanding. We have looked for dialogue with Horse Sport Ireland and we have not got it. On numerous occasions, we have been told we will get it the next week or the next month. We feel very disillusioned because we have a major stake in the game. Everyone works together and gets on well together but there is one catalyst that is just not working for us at the moment.