Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members for their contributions. As I said in my opening statement, this funding is very important to the thoroughbred horse racing sector and to the greyhound sector throughout the country. They are two strong industries. The horse racing industry in particular is world leading and a massive part of our economy, with some 30,000 people employed. The greyhound sector is somewhat smaller, which is again reflected in the fact it only has a one fifth share of the funding. However, the funding is important to that, to the tracks and to industry throughout the country.

We once again intend to continue our support and partnership with those two industries. We want to see them build and grow in the time ahead. We want to see our horse racing sector remain as a world leader, and one of the world leading exporters of thoroughbred genetics and foals across the world. We are also one of the leading countries for mares coming to be covered, and for winning at horse racing and making an impact across the continents.

I thank those who are supporting it. We take on board and acknowledge the opposition and that not everybody agrees with it. We can certainly disagree on that. We welcome the support of Sinn Féin. I have been watching its evolution over recent years with regard to greyhound and horse racing funding. Each year its members would support the previous year's level of funding but not the increase. They are now getting to the point where this year they are supporting the increase as well as the previous year's.

See this speech in context