Mr. Ronan Corrigan:

From a showjumping perspective, insurance certainly gets bigger every year. We are all scrambling around in the market hoping we can get an underwriter to take on our risk whether it is showjumping, eventing, dressage, para-equestrian, horse board activities or RDS activities. The venues also have to have their own insurance. Again, to a degree we are all having to paddle our own canoes. There is no industry-led structured approach to how we can get better insurance to cover all of us, to mitigate risk and work with the insurance underwriters. There probably are not any Irish-based underwriters taking this at all. There is a minimum number of underwriters through Lloyd’s that will take up this risk. Our problem is that we are being left with no real lead on this. To be honest, I do not think the expertise is there to have it. However, we are in a vacuum, as someone referred to it earlier. We have a body we are supposed to recognise as an industry umbrella body, which was set up as a body to support and enhance how we do things, but when the really important things happen, we are left to do it ourselves.

Senator Boyhan asked about anti-dope testing. From the showjumping perspective we can speak authoritatively on this because we are the only affiliate doing a significant amount of testing and we do it in consultation and partnership with HSI, which is the Sport Ireland-nominated body to carry out that testing. However, HSI's role is that for every euro the affiliate provides towards funding it will use Sport Ireland funding - euro for euro. That is how it is funded. HSI will make the decision on the vet and appoint the vet. HSI will make the decision on the testing laboratory, whether it is in France or the equine centre. It will make the decision on that. It will also predominantly make the decision on the number of tests carried out at each event. The process for selection of animals, riders, or whatever, to be tested at an event is done in consultation with the senior officials from the affiliate on the day, as per its rules and regulations so if there is a positive test it stands up if challenged or taken to court. That is why the affiliate must have a structure that suits its activities. It is not a case that HSI can test at a draught show should it wish to do so at the RDS, at eventing, dressage or whatever it may be. However, in the instance it is testing at an event, it needs the expertise of the officials trained by the affiliates to be specifically competent in carrying out their roles. That is the difference. HSI does not carry out that role.