Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

While my reply was brief, I was simply providing the Deputy with a straight answer to her question. I look forward to receiving the strategic plan soon.

I take the view that horse racing and the horse industry, in its broadest sense, is of enormous importance to this country. While race meetings may be the shop window of an important industry, there is much more to the industry than that. I am not known as a Minister who regularly attends horse racing meetings. However, that is not to suggest that I do not understand or am not hugely committed to fostering and ensuring the standing worldwide of our horse racing industry in all its guises remains in tact and can be and is strengthened as we go forward.

As the Deputy correctly stated, key strategic decisions need to be taken, some of which are up for consideration this year. I will certainly turn my mind to this. I hope the strategic plan being prepared by Horse Racing Ireland will help me and all those concerned with the industry to make the right decisions to enhance it.

See this speech in context