Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Labour Party also has an amendment.

Traditionally the Labour Party has supported this fund but as the years go on, we need to look at how it is functioning. It is out of place with how the budgetary process works. It was put in at a certain time. The formula by which the calculations are made are locked from that time. In this year of all years the Minister needs to look at it before it comes through a budgetary cycle next year. Along with Deputy Carthy, I am a member of the Committee of Public Accounts. We do not know of any other sector with a formula used in this way. We support funding for both industries. I come from Tipperary, literally a few fields away from where Tiger Roll was bred. It is probably the biggest county in Ireland when it comes to both horse racing and greyhound racing. While supporting the funding, we need to look at the formula by which this is achieved.

We also need to look at how this fund operated vis-à-visother Government funding such as sports capital and funding given to sporting and other organisations. There seems to be a mix-and-match approach rather than an actual holistic approach. That needs to be looked at in its totality to verify the fairness in distribution. In looking at how the fund is administered by both relevant organisations, on the greyhound side of things, much of the funding goes towards administration rather than prizes, while the opposite is the case with the funding going to the HRI. More of the actual fund and prizes in particular need to drift towards a fair distribution. Particularly when it comes to horse racing, formulas need to be put in place to ensure the small breeders, trainers and owners get a fair crack of the whip. I can speak very locally about that because where I come from there are many small breeders and trainers who raise this with me on a regular basis.

When it comes to animal welfare, in whatever formula or process is used into the future, there needs to be ring-fenced funding. When it comes to the greyhound board, and I ask the Minister to look specifically at this, somebody should be put on that board with a specific interest in this area who will increase the percentage of their funding that is used for welfare. That is a good recommendation and I imagine most people in the House would support it.

In our amendment, we are asking now, at this stage and after all of these years, that we look at how this fund, which is obviously of huge economic benefit to rural areas and counties as well as to urban areas, can be more fairly distributed. Furthermore, we need to look at how the fund can ensure higher standards in animal welfare.

Something that is often forgotten - in fact, I think I am the only Member who keeps raising this issue year in, year out - is that we need a sectoral order for employment rights, particularly when it comes to horse racing. Thousands of people are employed. I am concerned about some people - the number is small - who work in that industry and who are being treated very unfairly. They have very low rates of pay and do not have good working conditions or terms and conditions. A sectoral order in that area would be an important component.

We also need to see how we can ensure, overall, this fund can be distributed more fairly and how it can be integrated across all other sports funding. I ask the Minister to do this quickly, because I do not want to before the Committee of Public Accounts asking all of these questions again during next year's budgetary cycle. I would like to have this sorted out. It is going to keep coming up because it is unique. Furthermore, the time is right to do it now, given the gambling regulation legislation that is also coming into place. There is an overlap between the two issues, so the timing is optimal.

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