John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last night during the debate on the Horse Racing Ireland Bill the Minister announced that he would introduce further funding for the industry in 2015 and 2016, which is to be welcomed, because during the recession there was a reduction in the amount of money available to the industry. The Minister referred to a sum of €54.4 million in 2015 and €59.2 million in 2016.

As I said already, the horse racing industry is very important to rural Ireland. Fianna Fáil is committed to the horse industry, which is a major employer in rural Ireland. The sector is strategically important because of the significant contribution it makes to rural development, farm and other incomes, and the business, services and tourism sectors, as well as to the rural economy as a whole. The horse racing and breeding industries are worth €1.1 billion to the economy, employing some 16,500 people with high-quality jobs based in rural communities. The Irish sports horse industry is worth €700 million in economic terms each year. We have heard much talk in recent times about the decline in rural Ireland and the need to rejuvenate it. In that context, it is very important to recognise the role played by the horse industry in rural Ireland, and I believe there is room for further expansion and development.

The Bill before us builds on the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act of 2001, introduced by a Fianna-Fáil-led government, which created a representative governing body for the industry and transferred various functions to that body. We look forward to tabling amendments to further strengthen the current provisions of the Bill on Committee Stage. The Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015 represents the culmination of a review of the industry and incorporates recommendations from the report prepared by Indecon in 2012. The Minister has now moved forward with this legislation to incorporate some of the recommendations of that report which should greatly improve the horse racing industry and the organisation that runs it in the years ahead. The new legislation will strengthen governance and transparency within the racing industry and will create greater accountability to the Government in the decisions and membership of Horse Racing Ireland, which was one of the key recommendations of the aforementioned Indecon report. The Bill increases the number of number of ministerial appointees to the board of HRI and clearly assigns governance and regulatory responsibility, clarifying previously grey areas such as point-to-point meetings, finance and administration.

I always wonder, when Ministers announce that they are going to increase the number of ministerial appointees to boards, who those appointees will be. I am sure-----

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