John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I do not agree entirely with Senator Mansergh but I agree in large part with the point he makes. This sector has benefited from this relief over the past 30 or 40 years and it is a flagship industry for the country. The Senator cited a few examples of where we have had great success in this area. The point he made at the end of his contribution is correct in terms of what is contained in the Bill. It leaves a large gap in terms of the future for people involved in the horse breeding sector. It may be that this relief has come to its natural conclusion but I urge the Minister, in the deliberations that will take place to determine the type of regime to be put in place in the future, to keep some mechanism in place to support the horse breeding industry. It is a vital component of life in many rural parts of Ireland. I represent a rural constituency. Like Senator Mansergh, I am on the agricultural panel in the Seanad. I represent Carlow and Kilkenny, a part of the country where horse breeding is a significant industry. I urge the Minister to consider this aspect when examining this area in the future.

The outrage people felt about the tax free status of stallion fees was directed at the few large corporate entities in this country that are involved in that sector. However, some mechanism must be put in place to protect the thousands of others who are involved in horse breeding on a far more reduced scale. I am not interested in sheltering the Coolmores of this world——