Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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432. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide, in tabular form, details of the contracts referred to in a statement (details supplied) made on the record of the Committee of Public Accounts by IGB on 27 November 2014; the names of the co-mingling partners; the tracks they are taking pictures and images from; the duration of the contracts, including the commencement and completion dates; the amount the contracts have realised for IGB, to date, in 2015; the total projected financial realisation from each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20657/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, charged with the regulation and development of the greyhound racing industry.

Bord na gCon has informed me that in total they are dealing with twenty-four different companies in relation to the matter raised by the Deputy. Bord na gCon have twelve contracts currently in place with fixed commencement dates. The remaining 50% are at various stages of completion.

In 2014 Bord na gCon achieved total gross sales of €3.47m from co-mingling arrangements, sales of video products, sales of TV pictures and tote sales generated through its Internet and App platforms.

Regarding the specific detail that the Deputy is requesting concerning the individual contracts Bord na gCon have advised that this cannot be provided due to commercial sensitivities and contractual obligations.

Bord na gCon has invested in information technology infrastructures to transmit pictures and related racing data from ten stadia. The stadia involved are Shelbourne, Harold’s Cross, Clonmel, Limerick, Waterford, Mullingar, Curraheen Park Cork, Youghal, Galway and Tralee. These ten tracks offer seven-nights-a-week coverage to fulfil their contractual obligations.

The negotiations with the TV supplier remain subject to finalisation of contract terms. Due to the sensitive nature and critical stage of these discussions any comment on this contract could prejudice the eventual outcome.