Results 281-300 of 1,748 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: What I have gleaned here is that the only issues with the old system of the advisory council are gender balance and diversity. Is that the case?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: They are the two issues Mr. Dowling mentioned.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: We need gender balance and diversity. Mr. Dowling's key point was that they must bring experience in the equine sector to it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: There may be an argument that one could bring in experts in accounting and law who may not necessarily have expertise in equine. I do not think we would be that far removed from the old advisory council system if the affiliate bodies were able to come back and comply in terms of gender and diversity, as we have seen with the FAI. Would that be fair to say?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: But the industry does not like that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: In fairness, you serve the industry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I have just under two minutes left. There is one point I would like to address with Mr. Duggan in relation to the recent appointment of Bernard Jackman to a role in Horse Sport Ireland. Was that discussed with the affiliates before the appointment? Was it advertised? Who specifically identified the need for this role? Did it come from the affiliates? Where did this role come from? This...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I have one last question. As was said, he will be dealing with the affiliates in the run-up to the Olympics and it is astonishing that HSI did not discuss this with the affiliates, tell them it was going to make this appointment, give them an outline of the job specification and get some input from them. Surely, it would have thought that would have been a prudent approach.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I will go. I might have time to get to the vote.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: No. I will pair with you. Are you paired with somebody?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: We will have the Cathaoirleach out for his dinner shortly. I appreciate his patience and understanding. I have a couple of things to finish off with. Finance was mentioned briefly. Regarding Showjumping Ireland, in the witnesses' presentation, it is down as owing €100,000. Showjumping Ireland would say there is no discussion on that. The high performance committee has not met...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Very good. Regarding HSI’s board, roughly how many times has it met since the last time the HSI was before this committee? Has the HSI board had formal meetings?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: The board has met three times. On funding and, in particular, for young riders competing at championship events, aside from the contribution HSI would make towards show entry and show fees, does it make any other financial contribution to those athletes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: That would be just for the European championships. Let us say – we cannot say home international – they are going to a UK and Ireland competition. Would they get a contribution towards that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Is there any charge on high performance young riders if they are selected? Do they have to pay anything? For example, if they go to a training session with a high performance coach, are they charged to attend that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: However, Mr. Duggan would probably accept that there is a disincentive if you do not have the financial wherewithal. It goes back to Mr. Dowling's point that, in the context of seeking to have greater diversity and inclusion in HSI, charging young riders in particular probably goes against the core value of the organisation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: With regard to the competition events and ECVOA, we have made a suggestion at a meeting of this committee. ECVOA has suggested it should have a memorandum of association with HRI. I understand it has one prepared. Are HSI representatives due to meet ECVOA representatives shortly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Would it be conceivable that it could have someone on the board, albeit a non-voting member?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: That is very positive. If the competition venues are keen to grow, we will need a vibrant competition scene. Therefore, it is important to have a cohesive and harmonious relationship between HSI and ECVOA. An issue the ECVOA representatives raised was funding. ECVOA would need to be joined at the hip with HSI in trying to seek Government funding. I encourage the representatives present...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Horse Sport Ireland (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Those big events would balance out with the ones that are poorly attended, so I suppose there are swings and roundabouts. The delegates stated there has been criticism in social media. I noted an article in The Irish Timeson human resources issues within HSI. When the delegates last spoke here, they said they were carrying out interviews with past staff and board members. Can he elaborate...