Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I have audit business relating to the Oireachtas to do and I will have to go. I am very conscious of audit and have a huge interest in the corporate governance of organisations. I have served on a number of State boards. I welcome Mr. O’Loughlin, Mr. Murphy and Dr. Hillyer and thank them for coming here.

This is probably the last meeting of the agriculture committee before the general election. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the significant work of our Chair, Deputy Jackie Cahill, who has indicated he will not be standing in the next general election. He is not here and I would have liked to have said it directly to him. He has been an exceptional Chair. I would not like to let this opportunity go without acknowledging his excellent and amazing knowledge of agriculture and his very fair approach to chairing the business of this Oireachtas committee. He understood the brief exceptionally well. He worked exceptionally well with the members and the Department. He was never afraid to confront or challenge the status quo and worked effectively with organisations. He included them and encouraged them to come in here in an open and frank way and participate and engage. He was always courteous to us and facilitated us here. I take this opportunity to wish Jackie well in the future. As I say, he was an excellent Chair and guided us through our work. At this point I also acknowledge the work of our clerk and the secretarial support and all the other support around it. I just wanted to get that out of the way. Jackie is an exceptional man with huge knowledge of agriculture and we will certainly miss him and his guidance of this committee.

Coming to the business in hand, I start on a positive note. I was speaking in the Seanad the day before yesterday, and we were celebrating and I was talking about the Irish jockey Robbie Dolan, who rode Knight's Choice and claimed the Lexus Melbourne Cup. What a day and what an achievement. It is a really positive story for racing internationally. I am sorry I did not have a penny on him because, at 80-1, the odds were fantastic and happy days for anyone who had €500 on that. That is a really positive note to start here.

We have an amazing equestrian industry and an amazing reputation all over the world. We do not want that to be blemished or undermined. We want to work constructively with all stakeholders in this sector because the Irish sports horse and all that goes with it are vital. We have discussed the issue at length. We acknowledge that there are shortcomings in governance. There have been challenges with testing for doping in sports in the past but I think things are genuinely improving.

I do not intend to ask too many questions but I want to make a few observations. I considered in detail the various reports that were submitted to us. All members have seen them and studied them. We teased out the details among ourselves. I examined the IHRB annual reports before I came here today.

The IHRB statement of strategy for 2024 to 2027 is fantastic. It is great to set goals and achievements. We cannot forget what has gone before but that is really positive and important. The statement is well laid out and explained. It is easy to measure and I salute the witnesses for that.

I looked at the report of the equine injury in Irish racing reduction project, which is important. It was interesting to learn about that. I read the IHRB equine anti-doping reports, which were interesting. There are challenges in that regard, as the witnesses acknowledge. There have also been vast improvements in that regard. I also read the independent review of the IHRB equine anti-doping programme, which is important. I see pathways and evidence of a concentrated and positive way of going forward. That is what I want to dwell on tonight.

I have also studied the detailed financial governance review from Forvis Mazars and certain transactions with the IHRB. That sets out a comprehensive background to some of the issues that the witnesses have addressed today. I do not intend to dwell on those matters. It is good that we have an auditing system. Mazars is an exceptional company and it has set out a number of issues, so that is transparent and important. Transparency is key to governance.

I will touch on a few issues. I looked at the strategic plan, the vision and governance, and the various pillars that have been set out. The IHRB, as we all know, has a legal responsibility to protect the reputation and integrity of the Irish horse racing sector. That is important. We talked about the Melbourne Cup. Anything to do with our reputation is critical to the success of the industry, its further growth and the realisation of its potential. That is something that Irish people in general are very proud of and it is important.

I also think of the context of this report. There is an absolute responsibility in terms of administration and management. Substantial Government grants are significant to the industry. Every year, we approve funding and consider issues around sports horses generally. It is not always easy. There is a lot of conflict around some of those issues in the days leading up to the approval of funding with consideration of whether it should be varied and whether more money should be designated or ring-fenced for welfare as opposed to something else. That is important. I have no vested interest here and I do not know anyone on the board or any of the governors or trustees. I see evidence of a clear strategy for good corporate governance, which is important.

There is the ongoing issue and challenge around ensuring compliance with good practice and the code of practice for the governance of State bodies. The witnesses will be familiar with that. I see evidence of all of that. It is there. The witnesses are clearly aware of their corporate governance responsibilities in that area, which is also important.

I am not fully apprised of and do not have an in-depth knowledge of the organisation in respect of how it is resourced for compliance and risk functions. I note that is in there but it is an important challenge. There is a risk assessment audit system within the Oireachtas. Every organisation has such a system. It is important that sufficient resources and skill sets are available and applied to ensure high compliance. What gives confidence to people in respect of compliance is transparency. The witnesses are here today on a programme that is broadcast on Oireachtas TV. They are on the record of the Oireachtas. That sort of transparency instils confidence and that is important.

I encourage the witnesses to have greater collaboration with HRI. Mr. O'Loughlin identified that issue. He said that he plans to have greater engagement with HRI and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as it is now. It may become a different Department in a few months' time.

It is nice and dandy to say there will be constructive stakeholder engagement through strong communication processes, consultation or collaboration, but there needs to be greater evidence, going forward. I ask the witnesses to focus more on that issue because it is important.

It is rare that I come to this committee, which I have been a member of for the past five years, without a question to ask. Having studied in detail the documents submitted to the committee, I am of the view that the board is putting in place, and has put in place, mechanisms. It would be interesting if the witnesses were to come back to the committee in 12 months' time and tell us how it is going. I do not have any questions. I thank the witnesses for coming and for being upfront and honest about the problems they have encountered. They have acknowledged that some system threw up this anomaly or concern and that has now been addressed. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee.