Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with what Deputy Carthy said about the need for the Government to consider proposals that will enable the marts to function. Deputy Fitzmaurice and I are bringing proposals to the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, who said he will consider them. When we raised the matter with the Taoiseach, he said that there could be no special provisions for any interest group and that is what I really want to focus on in this contribution.

Some of those who are involved in the training of various elite sporting activities are able to go about their work. Those who are involved with Greyhound Racing Ireland in the training of greyhounds are able to go about their work. I can understand the epidemiological advice. Training greyhounds does not necessarily involve a huge amount of interaction with other people, and greyhounds are elite animals. Likewise, Horse Racing Ireland personnel are able to go about their work and we have elite athletes on elite beasts when it comes to Horse Racing Ireland. I respect that. The two things that they have in common is that there is a huge interest in the gambling industry in both. They are sports in which a lot of money is washing around. There is another group I wish to mention, namely, Horse Sport Ireland. It is not able to train at the moment. They are also elite athletes on an elite beast. I would like to see the epidemiological advice. We are told that this is all about epidemiological advice that differentiates between Horse Racing Ireland where lots of money is washing around and Horse Sport Ireland, where a lot less money is washing around, but from an epidemiological perspective. Surely this is all about epidemiology. That is what the Government is constantly telling us. Give me the advice that differentiates between the two, or else let Horse Sport Ireland go about its work. While I have the greatest respect for people who train horses or greyhounds for racing, Ireland has never been represented in the Olympics by a greyhound. There is a team that is trying to prepare for the Olympics. The fact that we get to the Olympics with the meagre funding Ireland is able to provide for Horse Sport Ireland is a huge achievement. The fact that it does it on a lot less money and that it does not attract the same interest of the gambling industry should not be something that hinders it. We should give them their chance. The Olympics have been put back for a year. We should allow them to prepare for it.

I will use the last ten seconds to hammer home one point I have consistently made, and which I and many Deputies from the west have constantly stressed, which is that the western seaboard has been disproportionately affected by the measures that were introduced by closing the aviation and tourism sectors. Let us guess what the Central Bank talked about tonight. It was the detrimental effect this is having especially on the western seaboard. I ask the Government to address it please.

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