Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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17. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the current structure of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board is sufficiently independent to ensure maximum confidence that any allegations concerning doping, animal welfare abuses or other illegitimate activities are adequately investigated. [38523/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since 1st January 2018, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland. The IHRB is a company limited by guarantee set up by the Turf Club and the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee for the purpose of carrying out the regulatory and licensing functions for Irish horseracing.

This body is responsible for protecting the integrity and reputation of Irish horseracing in Ireland.

The Irish Horseracing Industry Act 1994, (as amended) provides for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) to have the following functions

- to regulate horseracing;

- to make and enforce the Rules of Racing and in so doing to promote integrity and fair play in horseracing;

- to provide adequate integrity services for horseracing, and

- to license racecourses under the Rules of Racing.

The Horse Racing Ireland Act, 2016 provides that Horse Racing Ireland is responsible for the overall administration, governance, development and promotion of the Irish horse racing industry and for guaranteeing funding to the Racing Regulatory Body to carry out its functions through an integrity services budget which is agreed annually.

Under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, financial support is provided by the State to Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) on an annual basis. In the 2021 budget, €76.8m was allocated to HRI. HRI have informed the Department that some €10.3m is being provided to the IHRB for Integrity Services in 2021 and is based on an agreed annual budget.

To place the integrity system operated by the IHRB in context:

- The drugs testing systems in Irish racing are similar to those that apply in other major racing countries.

- For 2021, the annual budget for drug testing and doping control will be circa €2.4m and over 4,300 horses will be tested. A total of 72% will be associated with races on track and 28% will be out of competition or be tested at point to points.

- For the first time in 2021, these is testing at sales and breeding establishments.

- Unannounced hair testing (which gives a more detailed record of substances to which a horse is exposed) was introduced in July 2020 with 77 different horses tested, all yielding negative results.

- Recently, the Department granted Authorised Officer status to IHRB officials which will see cross-industry cooperation on anti-doping in Ireland.

- A total of €500,000 is being provided by HRI to the IHRB as part of its Integrity Services funding this year for the installation of CCTV in all racecourse stable yards with a view of having each of the 25 racecourses in Ireland covered by the beginning of the 2022 racing season.

I am satisfied the current structure of the IHRB is sufficiently independent to ensure maximum confidence that any allegations concerning doping, animal welfare abuses or other illegitimate activities are adequately investigated and will be followed up, where necessary.