John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to share time with Deputies Deenihan and Barrett. I would like to put on the record of the House, as articulated by Deputy Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael's support for the horse and greyhound industry which provides 30,000 jobs and deserves funding and support. I am aware it has received more than €500 million in funding in this decade alone.

My concern arises from a response to a question I tabled some months ago to which the Minister replied that no new applications had been taken for sports capital funding in 2009. The Minister mentioned yesterday in committee that some projects would commence this year. In this regard, I assume he was referring - I do not wish to be splitting hairs - to projects approved in 2007 or 2008. The perception out there - I have experienced this reaction even since the decision was first announced at committee last week - among the sporting organisations is that other sports are being treated unfairly and that the horse and greyhound industry is, in some way, being supported at the expense of other sports, which I understand.

I said yesterday and say again today that not enough was done in the budget to support jobs and we must support these jobs. There is a need for support for the horse and greyhound industry within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as I believe it is in its interest that sporting organisations are not at each other's throats. Other sporting institutions such as the GAA and those representing team sports such as rugby and soccer could also say they provided billions in revenue to the Exchequer. It is in everybody's interest that the message goes out that what we are doing is supporting an industry not a sport. The horse and greyhound industry is on record as saying that it does not want to depend on Exchequer funding. I look forward to publication of the review this summer which it is hoped will articulate the ways in which this is done. I support the view of other Members that sport is needed now more than ever and must be supported.

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