Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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48. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the funding allocation to an organisation (details supplied) in view of the concerns regarding work practices in the industry it oversees including the fact that stable staff in the industry do not fall within the classification of agricultural workers despite being treated as such. [27962/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Horse Racing Ireland is a commercial state body responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.

Horse Racing Ireland receives financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001.The level of financial support provided to Horse Racing Ireland is approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas. In accordance with the 2001 Act, 80% and 20% of the monies paid into the Fund each year are distributed between Horse Racing Ireland and Bord na gCon respectively.

State funding provided from the Fund is pivotal to the survival and continued development of the horse and greyhound racing industries. The Irish bloodstock breeding and racing industry is of major national importance in terms of employment - especially in rural areas; exports and tourism. Approximately 14,000 people are employed in the thoroughbred industry in Ireland, mostly in rural areas and it attracts significant inward investment to the country.

The classification of workers is a matter ultimately for the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation but I understand that the general corpus of employment legislation including the Terms of Employment (Information) Acts, the Payment of Wages Act, the Protection of  Young Persons (Employment) Act and the Unfair Dismissals Acts, applies to the horse racing industry.

I believe also that the Organisation of Working Time (General Exemptions) Regulations 1998 (SI No. 21 of 1988) exempt certain activities, including agricultural activities, from the application of minimum rest periods (Section 11, Section 12, Section 13 and Section 16 of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997) but horse racing activities are not specifically exempted under these Regulations.

Inspectors of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) have regard, on a case by case basis, to exemptions when determining compliance with employment rights entitlements. Where breaches of the relevant regulations occur, this may be taken up with the Workplace Relations Commission.  

Where breaches of employment law by individual employers is alleged, such matters may be reported to the Workplace Relations Commission.