Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the contribution of the Minister regarding this issue. The fund he speaks about is really important. It creates an awful lot of employment opportunities in rural Ireland, and it is very important we support those opportunities. The racing fund the Minister speaks about has just been amended with the new budget. It is important we go through that process and make sure the fund is available for both the horse racing industry and the greyhound industry. It is a really significant driver in our rural economy. It is important that this fund is put in place to sustain the rural jobs that benefit from it. I think we sometimes take for granted these two industries and the impact they have in rural Ireland. Obviously, huge changes have happened within this industry in the last few years. There have been major changes as to how they deal with the issues pertaining to safety and how the animals are treated. There has been a huge focus there and a huge change, which has to be acknowledged.

I acknowledge the Minister's speech. This is a very important motion that we need to move on.