Results 4,321-4,340 of 10,790 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Would it be fair in that instance that the greyhound sector would also suffer as a result of any decision made in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: If they had to apply in the same way as every other organisation, namely, on the basis of their own merits.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: On a number of occasions, I have discussed the proportion of their funding. Perhaps a better way to say it, because this can go into grey areas, is to refer to the alignment of the funding that HRI receives with the money it subsequently distribute in prize funds. Does the Minister know yet how much HRI intends to invest in prize money next year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Does the Minister know the total prize money that will be expended next year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: The figure I have for this year is €64.8 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Where does the €56 million?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: So HRI-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: The total prize pool was €64.8 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Does the Minister know what the total prize pool will be for 2023?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Was that not in the business case that was provided?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: We can use figures in different ways. Look at the actual breakdown of the figures for 2018. From the total prize fund of €29 million for that sector, the top five trainers got almost €14 million of that. For the national hunt there was €28 million. More than €15 million of that went to the top five trainers. Accepting the Minister's bona fides, would it not be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: But it is not done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: I am only asking about whether taxpayers should be funding that through this mechanism.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Apologies to the Minister, but I am conscious others wish to come in and we could go round in circles. I have two brief questions. The first is in respect of the foal levy. It is causing what appear to be increasing levels of frustration, and I am told that many breeders see the payment of the levy as being skewed in favour of higher value foals at the expense of those of a lower value....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: It is not a million miles away. I will ask one final question if the Minister will decide he can give a quick answer. It is in respect of the CEO of Greyhound Racing Ireland, GRI, stepping down after less than a year in the job. GRI told the Committee for Public Accounts that it did not conduct an exit interview. Has the Minister sought a meeting with the former CEO to get her assessment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Last year, I proposed an amendment to the motion that called for a full review of the Exchequer funding to examine the social and economic impact of the fund and ensure we are getting the best efficacy and value for money. The Minister opposed that motion and stated it was unnecessary. If I correctly remember the Minister's words, he stated such work was ongoing all the time. Will the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2022: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: It is not that I thought of raising the issue of prize money; it was people in the sector, particularly smaller breeders and trainers. They say that it discriminates against them because it makes it more difficult for them to develop their operations. they also state that the diversion of a large amount of public money towards the prize fund ensures that the big operators will continue to...

Declaration of a Housing Emergency: Motion [Private Members] (22 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: The Minister is asking for a blank cheque.

Declaration of a Housing Emergency: Motion [Private Members] (22 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: Rents are out of control. The average cost of new rents in the State is now almost €1,700 per month, touching €3,000 per month in Dublin. The situation is getting worse and not better. Today's report from Daft.ie shows the highest increases since records began. That is an emergency. House prices are out of control. The cost of buying a house has increased by 128% since...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Nov 2022)

Matt Carthy: It is incredible that the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, was aware of the proposal to hike toll charges and he failed to stop them immediately. He said yesterday morning he was reluctant to tackle toll rises if it would come at a cost to other priorities. I have to put it that the priority now should be to support workers and businesses facing a cost-of-living crisis and...