Victor Boyhan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the people from all the disciplines of equestrian sport. I am an ally, a supporter. I was dragged up in pony clubs, eventing, cross-country and other equestrian businesses just off the Curragh in a little place called Narraghmore near Fontstown in County Kildare, for those who know that part of the country. I am with you all the way.

I read the six-page submission. The element of being vexed - not vexatious - came over clearly in the six-page submission. I am the son of a cattle dealer and we used to say in the trade, "What is the ask, or what is the deal?" and then seal the deal. My take here is the issue of corporate governance. Corporate governance works two ways. It works in relation to the witnesses' organisations, just as it does to Horse Sport Ireland. The witnesses talked about funding, and rightly so. We need to look at the funding model. They talked about the board membership and participation, not in sub-committees or below that, but at the heart of the core decision-making that governs their disciplines. That is their ask. That is what I take from it. We can talk about issues of trust. It is great to have trust. We can talk about issues of communication. However, they are all surmountable issues.

I want to congratulate those who are involved in qualifying for Paris in 2024. All the medals and prizes were excellent. It is a great success story. It straddles two areas. We are talking about agriculture, and equestrian disciplines and sport. The bulk of the money comes from the sports capital budget. The witnesses are not before the joint committee on sport but are before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There is a case to make to get into the sports committee. That is important.

I tried to ascertain from a little research the breakdown of Government funding from the Department to the organisation.

I suppose that is something I would like to hear more about. Clearly, our guests are the experts. They know the field. They know the sport. They compete in the sport. They are highly competitive people. Equestrian people are competitive people. That is important to acknowledge.

As I said, I want to congratulate all those involved. I also want to acknowledge the huge voluntary aspects to this business. I know people who are involved in equestrian centres in Wicklow and all over the country and hawking and dragging their families and extended families to all these events does not come easy. It does not come cheap either. That is important.

In terms of the corporate governance, I take it that all the disciplines here are fully compliant with corporate governance. One or two of our guests are aspiring to be involved in terms of governance for Horse Sport Ireland in 2024. We are now in 2023. Can I have, from each of the disciplines, their compliance with the corporate governance? Are they happy? Are they up to speed fully with corporate governance in each of their organisations?