Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has received correspondence from people who are concerned regarding the future of national hunt breeding stock, in particular where there are concerns in relation to stallions who have wind problems and the inheritability of same; if, in this context, she is having same analysed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41053/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I have received correspondence from individuals who have concerns in relation to inheritable wind disease in National Hunt stallions. Under the provisions of The European Communities (Equine Stud-Book and Competition) Regulations 2004, SI 399 of 2004, I am empowered to grant approval to a person, an international association or organisation for the purposes of maintaining a stud-book subject to compliance with the requirements of the relevant legislation in force. Weatherbys Ireland GSB Limited is the organisation approved to maintain the Thoroughbred studbook in which National Hunt stallions in Ireland are registered. The legislation provides for keepers of approved stud-books to divide the main section of their stud-book into classes according to the animal's merits. Therefore, approved studbooks can choose to classify animals in their studbook according to their merits' (such as the inheritance of wind disease) in order to discourage the breeding of animals with a genetic defect. I do not propose to interfere in the day to day business of approved stud book keeping organisations.