Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 is a commercial State body responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.

The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund under section 12 of the Act. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine makes payments from the fund to HRI and to Rásaíocht Con Éireann, RCÉ. In the period 2001 to 2021, a total of €1.46 billion was paid from the fund to the horse and greyhound racing industries in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Exchequer support provided from the fund is crucial to the survival and continued development of the horse racing industry.

In budget 2022, an allocation of €88 million was provided for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. This is distributed in accordance with section 12(6) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, with 80%, or €70.4 million, going to HRI and 20%, or €17.6 million, to RCÉ.

Horse racing in Ireland is administered on an all-island basis involving 26 racecourses. HRI has informed my Department that all 26 racecourses are affiliated to the Association of Irish Racecourses, AIR. The AIR chairperson is a board member of HRI. This board member also sits on HRI’s fixtures committee and is also the chair of HRI’s media rights committee. As the Deputy will be aware, the HRI fixture committee controls the allocation of fixtures which is key for generating income for all racecourses irrespective of their size.

HRI has also informed my Department that the merging of 26 racecourses for the sale of media rights has been key to delivering significant revenue increases over the past ten years. While the details of the media rights allocated to racecourses is commercially sensitive, overall grade 2 tracks have seen strong growth since the last deal was agreed.

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