Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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180. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount expended by Horse Racing Ireland, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board and Rásaíocht Con Éireann on external communications advice and or training for its senior leadership team in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; the external companies engaged; and the topics or issues that the training or advices related to, in tabular form. [39323/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland. The IHRB is a company limited by guarantee. While the role of the IHRB as the regulatory body for horseracing is provided for in legislation, the body itself remains a private entity.

Relevant legislation also provides for a funding mechanism to be in place under which the costs of integrity services provided by the IHRB are guaranteed by HRI based on an agreed annual budget. A significant amount of the annual funding allocated to the IHRB from HRI, is derived from funding HRI itself receives from my Department via the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund (HGRF). Accordingly, formal oversight of the IHRB is maintained by HRI.

The question raised by the Deputy, including in respect of the IHRB, is an operational matter for both HRI and RCÉ, therefore, the question has been referred to the bodies for direct reply.