Written answers

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Horse Racing Industry

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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832. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has published reports to date with regard to equine anti-doping further to the report of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on Horse Racing in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4491/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Act, 2001.  The Horse Racing Ireland Act, 2016 provides that HRI 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.The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland.

The IHRB operate independently of my Department in the exercise of their regulatory functions. Nonetheless, I can confirm that last week, the IHRB published their Equine Anti-Doping report covering the second half of 2021 with an overview of the year also.

These reports will be issued on a bi-annual basis with the next one to be issued in July.

A copy of the latest report can be found here www.ihrb.ie/pdf.php?f=IHRB_EAD_Report_2_21.pdf

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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833. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board plans to publish the commissioned audit of Irish racing’s anti-doping procedures further to the report of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on Horse Racing in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4492/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Act, 2001.  The Horse Racing Ireland Act, 2016 provides that HRI is responsible for the overall administration, governance, development and promotion of the Irish horse racing industry for guaranteeing funding to the Racing Regulatory Board to carry out its functions through an integrity services budget which is agreed annually.  The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland.

The IHRB operate independently of my Department in the exercise of their regulatory functions. However, I confirm that Dr. Craig Suann, former Chief Veterinary Officer in New South Wales, recently began an independent audit of the IHRB's anti-doping procedures. 

Following the conclusion of this audit, Dr. Suann will furnish a report and the findings of this report will be made public by the IHRB.  

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