John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

Officials from my Department have recently met officials from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland to discuss a number of issues common to both Departments including pursuing opportunities for all-island co-operation in the development of the horse and greyhound racing sectors.

A number of difficulties have been identified by officials with regard to an all-island approach to racing. For instance, responsibility for horse racing spans across a number of Departments in Northern Ireland and there is no central Government role or funding system for greyhound racing there.

Officials will continue to explore the issues involved with their Northern Ireland counterparts to explore the potential for all-island co-ordination in the development of the horse and greyhound racing sectors.

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