Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We need to dig deeper into this and consider smaller racecourses such as Thurles and Kilbeggan. The reality is that HRI has mainly used racecourse revenue received through the media rights fixture charge on capital programmes on the four largest racecourses, two of which it owns, at the expense of smaller rural racecourses. The Minister previously gave the direction that 50% should be used for long-term infrastructural projects, but that is not happening. We need to dig into the data and break down where the funding is going because this cannot continue. The Minister of State should go around some of the smaller racecourses and he will see some of them no longer have the infrastructure. They are not in good nick. We need to break down where the funding is going. The set-up of the current contract is not viable.

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