Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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785. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals for investment in the form of breeding initiatives to improve the quality of the Irish sport of horse and pony breeding together with knowledge transfer for breeders providing a pathway for young horses to add value in the State including the upgrade and developments of regional facilities across the country and the inclusion of equine farming in all Departmental and EU agri-schemes as a low carbon energy alternative with regard to the Programme for Government commitment to support further investment in Ireland’s sport horse industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48213/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am fully committed to maximising the potential of the Sport Horse industry and continue to provide support to it financially and with policy initiatives. I have increased the budget allocated to Horse Sport Ireland from €3m in 2019 to €4.0m in 2020 and a further €1m to €5m in 2021.

The Department is committed to assisting in the promotion and development of equine breeding and production systems in the country. This is achieved through working closely with Horse Sport Ireland. The sector has had tremendous successes in the Eventing discipline over many years with the Irish Sport Horse Studbook being first in the world rankings for 22 out of last 25 years. In recent years, there have been major successes for our young horses in the show-jumping discipline in World Studbook championships with these horses excelling at international venues like Lanaken in Belgium.

Building on the key principles of good breed improvement programmes and development of breeders to access young horses early and produce them early for their appropriate market, Horse Sport Ireland have proposed the National Equine Production Pathway as part of their Strategic Plan. This programme supports horse assessments, health screening, young horse production and educational days and knowledge transfer for breeders. This is clearly a programme I can support.

The Department will continue to support farmers to embrace farming practices that are beneficial environmentally, have a lower carbon footprint and better utilise and protect natural resources.