Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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793. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way that the €14.7 million Exchequer capital funding allocated to Horse Racing Ireland in 2022 will be spent. [49985/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 is a commercial State body responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund (the Fund) as provided for under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001.

My Department makes payments from the Fund to HRI and to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ). This is distributed in accordance with Section 12(6) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, with 80% allocated to HRI and 20% to RCÉ. In budget 2023 €91m was allocated to the Fund of which €72.8m will be distributed to HRI and €18.2m to RCÉ subject to Oireachtas approval. €14.1m of the proposed allocation to HRI will be for capital investment.

HRI has informed my Department that it proposes to fund capital investments in the areas of IT infrastructure enhancements for the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board (IHRB) and its own body in 2023. HRI also plans to continue investments to support the wider industry in the form of racecourse capital development schemes and the IRE Incentive scheme, an initiative from HRI designed to stimulate and fortify Irish thoroughbred breeding, racing and sales.