Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has provided funding to Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) over a number of years with, a €5m grant provided in 2021. Such spending is based on a service level agreement and is intended for current expenditure on areas such as breeding. It does not include capital funding. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media also provides funding to HSI.

HSI did make a budget submission to my Department last year for capital funding but the figure concerned was indicative and was not specific to any particular site or venue and involved the development of a green field site.

My Department does not provide capital funding to the HSI and it has not requested future funding for this project.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has informed me that, in deciding on a suitable location for the organisation's Headquarters and Centre of Excellence, it has examined a number of sites and venues as part of a selection process carried out by a sub-committee of its Board.

HSI advises that the work of the sub-committee has been ongoing for two years and has involved the consideration of many different locations. It engaged with a range of potential sites and hired a property valuer and advisor to review property and land offerings as well as availability of property to purchase, rent or develop.

As part of this process, HSI appointed an independent consultant to carry out a detailed feasibility study, following a competitive request for tender.

A copy of the feasibility study and other relevant documents have been made available to my Department. In selecting a site, HSI is not required to obtain approval from my Department. The final decision on a suitable site and venue is a matter for the Board of HSI.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has informed me that it is considering moving to the new Centre of Excellence at Greenogue as soon as is feasible, following the construction of a new office building. The Centre of Excellence is proposed to serve the training and education needs of the sport horse industry. The delivery of such key programmes will be a focus of the centre, which will traverse the breeding and sport landscape.

The centre of excellence is being conceived to serve the broad interests of the industry and in that sense to make sport horse activities / businesses in Ireland, more profitable within their own commercial pursuits. The centre of excellence as a whole will seek to be a sustainable model with any additional benefits being redirected back into the industry in line with the Horse Sport Ireland Strategic Plan and any subsequent statement of strategy in future years.