Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

This matter should be dealt with in the House in the first instance rather than being referred to committee at this stage. What is at stake here is an additional €300 million over the next four years. In effect, this amounts to multi-annual ring-fencing of public money. This would not happen in the case of funding for cancer care or for the needs of those coping with disabilities. However, we are being asked to allow this matter to be referred to the committee without debate. While I sympathise with the points made by the previous speakers, the pattern has always been that when something of this nature is returned to the House, there is no further time or opportunity to dissect or scrutinise it properly as should be the case. It should not fall only to the committee to consider this matter because far too much is involved. It is as if Santa Claus McCreevy could not make it to Christmas and he offered an early "Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you". He had all of his friends picked out in advance.

While I wish both the horse and greyhound racing industries well, we need to know the detail in respect of the management of this fund, how it will be disbursed and how it will be operated. Will the fund relate only to specific areas within both industries? Will smaller areas throughout the country benefit from it? What are the details? There is no information in anything that has been provided on the Order Paper. All the relevant details should be presented to Members in advance of taking a decision as to whether the matter should be referred to committee without debate. We need to know the facts. I oppose its being referred to committee at this stage without debate.

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