John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

In June this year, I met with Ms Maria Eagle, the Northern Ireland Minister with responsibility for culture, arts and leisure, 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. Previous meetings have also been held at both official and ministerial level in recent years with both the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland.

Several difficulties have been identified with regard to an all-island approach to racing. For instance, there is no central government role or funding system for greyhound racing in Northern Ireland and responsibility for horse racing spans across a number of Departments. However, my officials will continue to discuss the issues involved with their Northern Ireland counterparts in order to explore the potential for all-island co-ordination in the development of the horse and greyhound racing sectors. In that context, a successful outcome to the current political developments would be beneficial in moving on with the agenda.

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