Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and I will be brief. I welcome this afternoon the publication of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine report on the Irish horse racing industry. It is an extraordinarily interesting report and I am one of a number of members on the joint Oireachtas committee. The report has 11 strong recommendations dealing with doping, drug tracing in horses, corporate governance issues and also the composition of a board. Given the very significant amount of public funds that go into this body, it is critically important. It is a good piece of work done by members of all parties and none in the Oireachtas. I commend the report to the House. It was officially launched after 3 p.m. today.

I welcome the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 which was eventually published yesterday. It is a very important piece of work, particularly for those advocates among us who have been opposed to strategic housing developments, SHDs. We know they have been a disaster and failure and have cost many citizens we have represented across this country in the judicial reviews they had to undertake. I welcome the fact that we are hopefully transitioning from the SHD to a large infrastructure approach. I thank the Leader and her office for organising a briefing for all Members at 5 p.m. this evening on what is a very important Bill. I thank the House.