Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

We are not so good at so many things - apart from shooting ourselves in the foot, I suppose - that we can afford to ignore an industry in which we are a world leader.

We have discussed what the industry contributes but, in addition, it employs almost 30,000 people directly and many more indirectly. It is a major foreign currency earner and brings in a minimum of 80,000 tourists every year. Ireland is the third biggest exporter of horses, with one in every eight farmers participating in horse breeding. Hundreds of horses are sent here for stud every year. Every trainer has horses from the Middle East and all over the world. Whatever about our recognising that we are world-class, those in other parts of the world recognise that we are the market leader.

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