We have received apologies from Senator Lynch.

Witnesses giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee. This means that a witness has a full defence in any defamation action for anything said at a committee meeting. However, witnesses are expected not to abuse this privilege and may be directed to cease giving evidence on an issue at the Chair's discretion. Witnesses should follow the direction of the Chair in this regard and are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that, as is reasonable, no adverse commentary should be made against an identifiable third person or entity. Witnesses who are to give evidence from a location outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that they may not benefit from the same level of immunity from legal proceedings as witnesses giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts and may consider it appropriate to take legal advice on the matter. Privilege against defamation does not apply to the publication by witnesses outside of committee proceedings of any matters arising from those proceedings.

I advise members of the parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official, either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Parliamentary privileged is considered to apply to the utterances of members participating online where their participation is from within the parliamentary precincts. Members may not participate online in a public meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts. Any attempt to do so will result in the member having his or her online access removed.

Mar sin don chlár inniu, in today's meeting we will examine the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2025. They were referred to the committee by Dáil Éireann on 12 November 2025. The committee will hear from Deputy Heydon, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He is accompanied by Mr. Gordon Conroy, assistant secretary; Mr. Colm McKiernan, principal officer; Ms Annamarie McNally, assistant principal officer; and Ms Nicole Beagan, assistant principal officer. Tá fáilte rompu.

The Minister's statement has been circulated. I afford him the opportunity to read the statement to members before we go ahead with questions.

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. It is great to be here with members of the committee. As they are no doubt aware, the horse and greyhound industries are an integral part of Ireland’s economy and cultural heritage. Both sectors play a vital role in promoting balanced economic growth across Ireland, as they provide significant economic and social benefit to rural communities. Their importance has been acknowledged by successive Governments, and they are supported through legislation and policy initiatives. Exchequer funding provided from the horse and greyhound racing fund plays a crucial role in keeping these sectors alive and supporting their continued development. This Government funding, in addition to supporting these key industries, presents an excellent opportunity for a strong return on investment.

The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the horse and greyhound racing fund under section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001. Payments are made from the fund to Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, and Rásaíocht Con Éireann, RCÉ. Since 2001, a total of €1.8 billion has been paid from the fund to the horse and greyhound racing industries in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The cumulative upper limit on payments from the fund provided for under the relevant regulations has been reached. To give effect to the provisions of budget 2026, this limit must be increased by regulation. The Estimates for my Department, passed by both Houses as part of budget 2026, include an allocation of €99.1 million for the fund. This will be distributed in accordance with section 12(6) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, with 80%, or €79.3 million, going to HRI, and 20%, equating to €19.8 million, to RCÉ. To allow my Department to provide the monies allocated in budget 2026, it is necessary to comply with the technical requirement under section 12(13) of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act to increase the cumulative limit on the amount payable from the horse and greyhound racing fund by €99.1 million to some €1.9 billion. This is achieved by way of the regulations submitted to the committee today.

I will focus in on each industry, starting with horse racing. This industry is the cornerstone of Ireland's rural economy. According to the 2023 Deloitte report Social and Economic Impact of Irish Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing, the Irish thoroughbred industry has an annual economic impact of €2.46 billion. This represents a 34% increase on the figure from the same analysis done in 2016. The sector supports approximately 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, the majority of which are based in rural Ireland. The sector has an extraordinary reputation for breeding and racing. Government funding has been a key driver in maintaining this status over many years, with the Irish racing and breeding industry shown to attract in excess of €550m in foreign direct investment each year.

Irish-trained horses continue to perform exceptionally at international events, including in the UK, France and the US. Recently, Irish trainers and horses enjoyed remarkable success at the Breeders’ Cup in the USA. Aidan O’Brien made history with his 21st Breeders’ Cup victory while his son Donnacha celebrated his first win at the meeting. Willie Mullins also delivered a stunning victory with Ethical Diamond in the grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, underscoring Ireland’s world-class racing excellence. These results once again highlight Ireland’s world-class breeding, training and racing talent on one of the sport’s premier weekends. This success cannot be taken for granted, and the welfare of people and animals remains a key priority as outlined in HRI’s current strategic plan.

HRI is committed to maintaining the highest standards of care and welfare, both on and away from the racetrack. This includes providing supports for organisations, including the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board, IHRB, to ensure the health and welfare of all horses. My Department will continue to back HRI and the IHRB in these efforts.

Turning to the greyhound racing sector, the 2021 Power report highlighted that the industry provides and supports considerable employment across the Irish economy. In 2019, it was estimated to have supported over 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. The sector's foundation is built on over 6,000 active and enthusiastic greyhound owners. As an integral part of the social fabric and a long-standing tradition, the greyhound racing industry supports significant economic activity nationwide. Funding for this sector is especially vital for rural Ireland. This industry’s future relies on a strong governance platform and upholding the highest standards of integrity and welfare, supported by a robust regulatory system. Government support is directly contingent on RCÉ annually guaranteeing that these welfare standards are strictly upheld, aligning with the programme for Government's commitment to improved animal welfare and traceability.

RCÉ remains fully committed to upholding the highest standards of greyhound welfare and integrity. It continues to operate an ever-expanding care and welfare programme utilising income from the horse and greyhound racing fund towards the implementation of the highest possible welfare standards at kennels and racing facilities throughout the country and to rehoming activities. The ongoing welfare and integrity initiatives operated by the industry are pivotal. The work of RCÉ underscores this commitment, having conducted almost 2,500 inspections in the past year, the highest annual figure on record. I am pleased to report that the industry maintains a zero tolerance approach to any breaches, demonstrating its commitment to the highest standards.

The Greyhound Racing Act 2019 has improved RCÉ's governance. There are enhancements to industry regulatory oversight, updates to sanctions, and enhanced greyhound traceability and integrity standards. It facilitates the board in focusing on its priority objective - that of achieving the highest standards of greyhound care and welfare.

RCÉ is fully committed to developing, managing and promoting a successful and commercially sustainable greyhound racing industry. This industry will offer a high-quality, consumer-focused entertainment product, which meets the highest possible international regulatory and welfare standards. It will continue to be proactively governed by my Department.

The programme for Government contains a commitment to support rural communities and these industries continue to contribute to rural economic activity and employment. These two industries are key to balancing regional economic growth and both continue to provide a range of benefits for many rural locations. These benefits must not be overlooked. The horse and greyhound racing fund has played a key role in providing this investment and it has been instrumental in the shaping of these industries and the many livelihoods they support.

I want to mention one further matter. Following a request from the Committee of Public Accounts, my Department commissioned an external review of the governance of the fund and its recipient bodies in the context of the current legislative and policy framework. This review has now been completed and a copy of the final report was sent to the public accounts committee last week. One of the report's key recommendations is to increase, over the medium term, the share of the fund ring-fenced for welfare purposes. I assure the committee that my Department will work with the bodies to implement this and other recommendations contained in the report in the coming months. The support of the committee is now sought to ensure that HRI and RCÉ receive the funding provided for in budget 2026. Considering the vital economic and social contribution generated by these sectors in rural areas, this support ensures that the very important role played by these industries is sustained into the future.

I commend this regulation to the committee and look forward to discussing any matters arising.

I am conscious that the Seanad is due for a vote shortly. I propose to let the Senators speak first and then call the remainder of the members.

The Minister referred to a report that he has made available to the Committee of Public Accounts. I wonder if it might be possible that that could be shared with the committee at some point as well.

Absolutely. On foot of a request of the Committee of Public Accounts, we undertook to carry out a review. Obviously, the first thing to do was send that report to the Committee of Public Accounts. Next, it was to be shared with HRI, RCÉ and the IHRB. We did that did last week. Once those bodies have time to go through the report, it is my intention to make the report publicly available and to share it with this committee.

I thank the Minister. I call Senator Daly.

I welcome the Minister and his officials. At the outset, I probably have to put on the record that I am a former chairperson of a rural race track, namely Kilbeggan. I am currently a director of same. I have raced horses in the past, I have one racehorse in my ownership at present. I suppose it is no surprise that I would welcome the regulations relating to the horse and greyhound racing fund again this year. However, I have to put on the record my disappointment that it is not being increased. We all know that everything is increasing, even if that is only as a result of inflation.

As a member of a race track, I know where the money from the fund goes. The Minister stated that a further element of it will be ring-fenced for welfare. I welcome that. I can only use Kilbeggan as an example over the past few years. Although we provide support facilities, we do not qualify for sports capital and our only form of income towards developments is out of this fund, through HRI. Our most recent three or four major developments included an irrigation system to enhance the safety of the horses on the track and make sure the ground is always watered. We have to build new specially facilitated stables, veterinary boxes and rubberise our parade ring. Everything we have done has been towards animal welfare. There was a new security camera system put in to help prevent anti-doping. That is where this money is going. I am disappointed that it was cut, particularly as all those projects will cost more to do now. I hope this was only a one-year cut and that the money can be increased going forward.

HRI uses a percentage of it for price money and that has to be welcomed too. We are world leaders but there is a target on our back. There are a lot of countries modelling the system we use that got us to where we are. The Japanese are probably the ones, on the flat in particular, who are basing their racing on the Irish model and where we came from, namely from Vincent O'Brien right up to now. If we do not stay ahead, standing still will be no good to us.

I was here for the passing of the Greyhound Racing Act in 2019. It made massive change to the governance of greyhound racing and massively improved the traceability and animal welfare.

As I said, I welcome the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations, but I am disappointed by virtue of the fact that the fund is of a similar level to last year.

I thank Senator Daly for his comments and engagement. I recognise the points the Senator makes about Kilbeggan and the investments that have been made and sustained there over a number of years. During the summer, I had the privilege to attend the family day at Ballinrobe. Obviously, I attended Punchestown this year. I also attended Galway and Leopardstown. You see at first hand the amount of investment that goes in. It is all largely focused on the horses in the context of where they are and how they are treated on a given day. That is a good example.

I accept the Senator's point that for race tracks, the media funding is the day-to-day income to pay staff, etc., but the capital funding is from the horse and greyhound fund for that reason.

We will discuss the Supplementary Estimates in the second part of this meeting when I can talk about the broader budgetary constraints. We know this was a difficult national budget. There were a lot of challenges.

I will pick up on the Senator's use of the word "cut". There was not a cut. The fund was maintained, but that is in the context of where there are 13 semi-State bodies that come under the auspices of my Department. The vast majority of them, with the exception of the Agri-Food Regulator, did not get an increase. The Agri-Food Regulator is new and, rightly, had to get that. In real terms, semi-State bodies, such as Bord Bia and Teagasc, are all static such is the level of pressure on the budget. They have, as the horse and greyhound racing fund has in recent years, seen those percentage increases.

This is my first budget of, I hope, five. It is my intention I will be judged at the end of that process on how I have looked after these industries that, I have outlined clearly, I believe, as the Senator does, are so vital to our overall economy.

On the point the Senator makes in terms of prize money, I visited Japan on a trade mission earlier this year. I made it my business to visit the training facility for 4,000 horses in Kyoto. That facility is top of the line. It shows what we are competing with on the international stage in terms of prize money. We all say, and use the phrase quite glibly at times, we are world leaders. World leaders means investing. That is why €99.1 million of taxpayers' money going in to support the jobs in the industry that is there is critical.

I agree with the Senator in terms of the improved governance and improvements that have been made on the greyhound side. There is regular engagement between my Department and those two bodies, RCÉ and HRI.

Welfare is at the heart of what they do because we are all passionate about the horse and the greyhound.

Chair, when I said "cut", it was inadvertent. I note that it was not cut but, I, probably subconsciously-----

I understand.

-----considered no increase, as a cut.

Yes, no problem.

Before I go to the next speaker, the Minister mentioned the Agri-Food Regulator. The committee met its representatives earlier this evening and the regulator is mad keen for additional powers in relation to compellability.

I am happy to discuss that in the Supplementary Estimates element. I am mad keen for that too. It is a legal process. Any change to legislation does require a lengthy process and we have to do it right. What we are doing is novel legislation so it is not straightforward, but I share the Chair's determination.

I thank the Minister. Senator Boyhan is next.

I welcome the Minister and his team. I will be short, brief and concise. What are we looking at; the horse racing and greyhound industries. I took the time today to read, and I have them in front of me, the parameters letters issued by the Department to Ms Suzanne Eade dated 4 February 2025, and to Mr. Tim Lucey, CEO of the Irish racing board. The Minister will be very familiar with them. Clearly, these letters set down conditionality in relation to the funding. The raise a number of concerns and I will briefly go through some of them. There are a whole load of conditions and to put the context of what our earlier Senator was saying, we are talking about €63.282 million, of which 80% is prize money and 20% is what is called "integrity services". That gives context. This is a lot of bucks; a lot of money. Clearly, it is right and proper that we have some sort of measurable key performance indicators.

The Minister would be familiar with the parameters letter issued by his Department. It raises a number of concerns and I will flag some of them. The KPIs are contained in it, as is the commitment to the Curragh Racecourse, in the Minister's own home constituency, and that the HRI must continue to engage with the registration within the Minister's own Department and raises a number of issues there. There are concerns around financial reporting requirements and corporate governance around this particular body. There are a number of certificates of assurance required. Thoroughbred welfare is an important part of this also. I wanted to raise this letter to ask the Minister to give some assurances to the committee. If we look at the breakdown of the drawdown, this is cash upfront. In January 2025, it was over €8 million; €15 million in February; €7 million in April; €10 million in May; and €12 million. Any bank manager would be thrilled if an organisation was coming in with this sort of hard cash.

I support the sector. I understand the Minister's ambition. He is a man from the county of Kildare. I recognise his and the Government's commitments. I do not have an issue with the industry itself but I have an issue with, if the Minister is issuing parameters letters, he needs to assure himself, as the Minister in charge and the buck stops with him, that everything is in compliance with that. I do not have the time to go through the letter about the dogs, but it is a similar letter and the Minister will be familiar with it. The committee should be getting assurances from the Minister that there is full compliance, and if there are issues in failing to comply with the parameters letters, and I see the Minister run his eye over them, he might just reassure us or tell us if he has any concerns.

I have one ask. Why is it that the Irish sport horse is not included in any funding? Why is that? We saw public outcry after "RTÉ Investigates" in relation to the Irish sport horse, which is also a very important factor in our business here. We see that Sport Ireland is not a regulatory body and has no statutory powers. There is the International Federation for Equestrian Sports that commissioned a review on animal welfare. The Minister knows the findings, as I do.

Will the Senator finish up and give the Minister time to answer?

It is okay, I can always write to the Minister tomorrow and get these answers. I am on the record of asking the questions and that is critically important. I will have an opportunity tomorrow in Seanad Éireann also for a two-hour slot to ask the Minister further questions. It might give him some time to reflect, if he has a difficulty answering those questions.

What I am saying is, I support the principle, totally, but I want the Minister to be able to reassure us about it, and I know he will want to do so. I would also like to consider whether we can take some money from this enormous fund and feed it into Horse Sport Ireland. The Irish sport horse is a huge component that does not have the same sources of cash that are coming to these two sides, and is there a possibility we could run a pilot scheme or trial scheme next year and see how we can get additional money into the Irish sport horse? Those are my thoughts.

Chair in the brief time I have left I thank Senator Boyhan for those observations. First, this is a letter to Ms Suzanne Eade, and as the Senator has highlighted there is one for Mr. Tim Lucey as well for RCÉ. This is exactly right and proper. This is what we should be doing. We are outlining terms and conditions and the requirements on HRI that come with a very significant sum of State money in terms of how they account for that; the service level agreement they need to have in place with IHRB - which they do; putting down the financial reporting requirements that HRI must provide; the documentation to support the request for drawdowns; the balance sheet and cash flow statements; annual progress reports and the strategic plan. I can absolutely reassure every member of this committee that everything is done in accordance with how it should be, but it would not be right and proper that money would go to them without the Department putting pen to paper and being clear about what the requirements are.

On the horse sport side, the funding my Department allocates to Horse Sport Ireland is separate because the horse and greyhound racing fund is for the thoroughbred sector. Horse Sport Ireland relates to the sport horse. It does fantastic work and my Department funds that to the tune of €5 million, off the top of my head. I do not have the exact figure to hand now. The Department of sport also funds Horse Sport Ireland for about another €1.5 million. In general, the figure is not far off €7 million for Horse Sport Ireland. From my perspective, the element the Department of agriculture funds for the sport horse is the breeding element. We do that there is also a significant amount of the horse and greyhound racing fund that supports breeding in terms of the thoroughbred as well because that is a key agricultural activity. About 80% of the thoroughbreds bred in this country are produced by farmers who have four mares or less. Supporting that indigenous industry that is inextricably linked to agriculture is absolutely the right thing to do. I feel on the breeding side we have great potential to do more. The value of the sport horse is phenomenal when we look at those international competitors and then we have some great performers who are excelling on the international stage in the sport horse sector. That is a sector I am happy, through my Department, separate to this and that is very much from the breeding perspective because that is core agricultural activity that is happening on farms. Just like with the thoroughbreds, there is many a farmer in this country who has a sport horse and is breeding out of them. We have the supports and grants from that side.

The Department of sport and the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, will be happy to talk to the Senator about the element of the funding they give, which is for the elite activity. This is what we see happening at the Olympics, three-day eventing, showjumping and dressage. That elite, high-performance element is funded by the Department of sport.

I thank the Minister.

We will move on to Deputy Fitzmaurice.

The Minister is welcome. I will not take too long. I have a couple of things. Going back the years, before Deputy Heydon was Minister, there were problems with traceability and books. Progress has been made. When we spoke, the Department said it can register a calf in a day. I know you cannot register a horse as quickly but when this amount of money is being given out, I hope targets have been set so that they get their act together. They are long enough thinking about the registering of horses, getting the books out and traceability. I remember them coming; you could go through the yard and a horse could be gone. I think the veterinary people were here and stated that a horse could be gone. You could call to a yard and they could say the horse has gone down the road to Johnny's yard, and that is the end of that. I presume that with the sum of money they are getting, that would be sorted.

I welcome the funding for this. I see Roscommon racetrack and Galway and the different racetracks. They need help, as Senator Daly has said. The problem is that for some of the things they need money for, they need to try to get it or raise it themselves.

We all saw the programme that came out last spring and it was not good. It is not good for any industry, no more than if a programme comes out about beef or whatever. It is not good to see an "RTÉ Investigates" programme. I know there are plans and work afoot there. I know a factory is opening up or whatever. Has the Department put a fund together for helping out, be it with the slaughter of horses or for animal welfare, because that is very important in light of that programme?

That is all I have to say. I am not going to hog the Minister's time all night on horses.

I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice. We were all appalled by the content of the "RTÉ Investigates" report last year. Those I know in the horse racing and breeding sector care so much for their horses and want any bad behaviour by a very small few to be rooted out. Some of the Deputy's points were on traceability and improvements in this space. Following the broadcast of the "RTÉ Investigates" documentary highlighting issues with equine traceability, Professor Paddy Wall, a veterinarian, medical doctor and food safety expert knowledgeable about the equine sector, was commissioned by my Department to carry out a root-and-branch review of our equine traceability system. His report, which recommends several reforms to strengthen equine identification, traceability and welfare, was published last March.

Has there been a budget cut?

I will just give the Deputy an insight into the scale and what we have done since the publication of the report in respect of stepping through all the recommendations. I translated Professor Wall's proposals into a 38-point action plan and published it in conjunction with his report. The actions are under five headings: ensuring owner accountability through better traceability; stricter enforcement of equine identification and registration legislation; the highest level of protection for horses at end of life; maximising the benefits of scientific and technology innovation; and strong communication and influence. I recently sat down with my officials to go through the 38 points and we are making genuine progress on each of them. I acknowledge the co-operation of everyone across the sector with regard to our raising of the standards. We need other jurisdictions to get better on equine traceability because part of the programme referred to what happens in the rest of Europe. We are ahead of other places. My colleague Nina Carberry, an MEP in Brussels, is working on this area as part of an equine group in the European Parliament.

I would like to see an abattoir. This would be another option for horses at the end of life. It is important to have such an outlet. Even though what was in place previously did not have a massive throughput, the kind of facility in question is an important element to have in any system to ensure end-of-life care for animals. It is not something we would run as a State or Department, but it is absolutely something we would monitor and license.

Would the Minister support it?

I would absolutely support it. Discussions are at an advanced stage. Anybody running one of the facilities would not do so without our approval and oversight, to ensure the highest standards are reached.

There is one more thing I want to say and that I have not yet mentioned. Every year, some of the horse people fall out among themselves. We have heard about it down through the years at committee meetings. Those concerned end up spending a lot of money on court cases. Can manners be put on some of them to ensure money that needs to go into the industry is not squandered in the courts? Every year, I see this going on. It is vexing when taxpayers' money is involved.

It is not out of the horse and greyhound fund. Private individuals have abilities to-----

I have heard of boards falling out.

To the best of my knowledge, the horse and greyhound fund is not going towards cases. The money is clearly accounted for. The letter Senator Boyhan touched on refers to the clear parameters. The money is not given without its being followed through on. Very clear key performance indicators have to be adhered to.

On the points the Deputy made on welfare and traceability, a minimum of 20% of the horse and greyhound fund on the horse side, allocated to HRI, has to go towards welfare and integrity measures. Expenditure in this space is actually surpassing that proportion.

I thank the Minister.

I welcome the Minister and his officials.

We are talking about a lot of money. When a lot of money is being spent on an industry that is certainly seen by most as a very wealthy one, of course there has to be significant accountability. Many have questions about this. This brings me to the prize fund element. Senator Boyhan mentioned that large portions of the fund probably go towards prize money. Accountability in this regard needs to be very strong. The Minister mentioned in his opening statement that he has completed the report and that it has gone to the Committee of Public Accounts. I got a reply to a parliamentary question on this recently. I assume we will be getting a copy of the report in due course. The reality is that there needs to be very strong adherence to animal welfare standards in respect of all this, particularly in the greyhound sector, with which many people have major issues. Considerable reassurance is needed because if we are pumping money into something with questions over it, or even a suspicion of questions, it is a problem. It needs to be dealt with robustly.

The horse sport sector was mentioned. Certainly in my part of the country, there are not many thoroughbreds. We do not have the land for them, unfortunately. However, there are many in the equine industry. There are those breeding Irish draught mares and those involved in pony clubs and so on but they do not have access to anything like the kind of money available to the racing industry. There is unfairness in this regard, and that needs to be recognised. The Minister said the sector I am referring to gets about €7 million. There are probably as many horses in that sector as there are in the racing sector, which is getting the best part of €100 million. Therefore, there is something that needs to be examined in this regard. I ask the Minister to do so.

Will the robustness of drug testing be dealt with in the report that has gone to the Committee of Public Accounts?

I thank Deputy Kenny for the points he made. I will deal with them in the order in which he raised them. The first one concerned prize money. This is a key focus of people who question the overall quantum that goes into this area. It is fair to say that after the taxpayer or Exchequer, the biggest contributor to the horse racing and breeding industry, which employs 30,000 in many parts of rural Ireland, is the owner. Owners are significant contributors through paying their training fees and for horses in the sales. The sales employ many people. The breeder gets money through selling a foal, mare or other racehorse at a sale. That feeds all the jobs there. I am referring to the after-tax money. The people who can afford the pleasure of having a racehorse could spend the money in many different ways. Some of them do not live in Ireland but many of them invest here and leave their horses in training here. That is foreign direct investment for rural Ireland.

On the point raised by a previous contributor regarding Ireland being in competition with places like Japan, France, the UK and the US, being competitive with prize money is a critical component.

HRI's Factbook 2024 shows that there were 390 fixtures in 2024. In those, there were 8,022 individual runners. Twenty-seven percent of the horses won at least one race. Some 5,800 of the individual runners won prize money at some stage, which equates to around 73% of individual runners. The proportion in 2023 was 71%. Of the approximately 2,900 individual races, over 2,400 had prize money of under €25,000. Why would someone have a racehorse? Yes, there is the thrill and enjoyment of having a horse and a day out at the races, but there are also the chances of having a winner or placed horse and of being in the winner's enclosure. This is a key driver of the economic model that creates and supports the 30,000 jobs in our trainers' yards, breeders' facilities, veterinary support services, the Equestrian Laundry and farrier services. All of these key jobs, which are intrinsic to what we do remarkably well the length and breadth of the country, are supported by the horse and greyhound fund and the owners. The owners primarily keep their horses here as opposed to anywhere else because of the prize money. If the prize money drops, it will be a big challenge. For Ireland to remain competitive and a world leader, prize money has to be a key component of the offer here.

On the point about greyhound welfare, I absolutely agree with the Deputy. The standards are rising all the time. We work very closely with RCÉ in this regard. It has implemented a new traceability system, the RCÉ traceability system, RCÉTS, which records life stages. These include birth, registration, racing career, all changes of ownership and location, and end of life.

On Deputy Fitzmaurice's points regarding traceability, traceability is the key to welfare because it shines a light on bad actors if there are any. Let me be really clear: as Minister with responsibility for animal welfare as well as for the horse and greyhound fund in all sectors, I believe that if there are bad actors in any sector, we have to find them and take them out because they give everybody a bad name. If they exist, they are in a very small minority. We want to stamp out their activities because everybody who cares about the sectors cares about the animals and wants to ensure the highest standards. The second phase of the RCÉTS is in development.

That will include additional functionality allowing the recording of injuries at RCÉ licensed stadia during racing official and unofficial trials. Again, it is an open book for this sector making sure that we can reassure people who have concerns in that space around welfare.

The final point is around the sport horse. The Deputy mentioned the Connemara and others. The money that I talked about that we spend - the Department of agriculture - in the sport horse area is in the area of breeding grants. No more than we support farmers with livestock grants and different elements, we support people across the different stud books of the sport horse in the support of breeding. On the elite side, that is the Department of sport. That would be for dressage, three-day eventer or showjumper that can potentially be competing in the RDS in the summer, the Olympics and those different events in Hickstead and beyond. It is right that we do that as well because the breeding of those sport horses is an agricultural activity that happens on our farms. The vast of majority of the time it complements other farming activity on that farm as well. I am happy that we support it and will continue to do so.

I am delighted that we have the money that we have in place. I would be disappointed if it was not increased. I understand where the Minister is coming from. That money is well spent, both in horse racing and greyhound racing. I can stand over that. We are talking about foreign investment. Is there anyone anywhere in the world that would not love any country to be supporting two sporting industries like that with the return they are getting? Look at the return we are getting from the horse racing industry. Two of the best trainers in the world - world renowned - are based in Ireland. How many of the horses are they training from people outside of Ireland? It is hundreds. It is direct foreign investment into this country. Not only that, there is also the spin-off from it because if they are lucky enough to have a good mare, they leave it in Ireland to be bred. Somebody who is involved in that will look after that mare. Most of these people do not look after them themselves. It is great to see the deep pockets. It is great that they are spending it on our stock in this country. The amount of money we get is a huge boost and a great help along the way for those.

It is a great thing that we have seen few racecourses closed in this country. That is as a result of the commitment of the people of this country to a rural sport. We all know that it is expensive and that not many people can have those expensive thoroughbred racehorses. That is grand. We enjoy the racing of it and looking at it. We are proud of the fact that the people who are training these huge successful equines are based in this country. Does anyone ever go out on the road that they do not see horse lorries going either way when they are going down the motorway? Do a little survey sometime to see how many horses, jeeps, boxes, or whatever there are. There are loads of them. Sales are on. People will see it this week if they are passing Goffs. They will see hundreds of people in there over a period of a whole week. This a great investment from the Department of agriculture. The return it is getting is phenomenal. There is an amount of people working in those stables. People who are in those stables will always have a couple of people employed that otherwise would find it difficult to get employment. I want to make a public statement about that. Anytime I was ever there in any of those yards I saw that. If the person is only sweeping the yard and watching the horses coming in, he or she is as important as the jockey that is coming in after being out exercising the horse. I passionately and genuinely believe in that.

On the greyhound industry, it is probably one of our oldest sports-----

Allow the Minister to respond.

There is not much of a response. It is all positive. I am usually fighting with them, and I am sorry to say that. This is one pure positive thing. I know where he comes from. He has been in Punchestown. He knows all about it.

On the dog racing, there is no other animal that is more traceable from the day the pup is born and minded. The people who are involved in that mind them the very same as they would children. Everyone knows it around the country. They are tattooed and traceable. They are traceable until the very end. They can be inspected in the kennels at any given time from the time they are born until the time they are retired. Again, it is huge foreign investment. There are those who are lucky enough to get a good brood bitch or whatever, but everyone will always get a good dog through their lives. As I always say, it is like dreaming the dream. This is all about dreaming the dream, but it is the spin-off from it. There is huge foreign investment, such as the number of people who will travel over for racing into this country from the UK and farther, including America. They will come over here to learn the skills of the people that have been honed down through generations and that money cannot buy.

On the fund, I saw the other day where it was advertised that there is a course down in Limerick at the moment if a person wants to improve their skills or learn more about animal husbandry. Those courses are put on down there. That is very good. It is positive. Of course, there will always be people out there who will mistreat animals. I cannot believe the number of people who I see going around with retired greyhounds. Anyone will say that they are a beautiful and clean animal. I see it every day when I go around my town. I can see new people. I take an interest because I stop and ask them. Unfortunately, I was not in the Dáil. It was a pity I was not because I heard that there was a greyhound brought up to be shorn. The first thing that a person does with a greyhound is that they turn his ear to see does it have a number on it. It can never be taken off unless the ear of the dog is cut off. I know it has been done, but thanks be to God the person ended up in the proper place. That dog was not a greyhound. He was a whippet.

Give the Minister a chance to respond.

I know I have gone past my time, but I want to be fair about it. The money is being well spent. The Minister put down the conditions and rightly so. Anyone who gets money, such as farm grants, has to abide by the conditions. I do not have any problem with that. I do not mind how rigorous it is. It has to be done like that. They are meeting the commitment of the 20% for aftercare of animals. Well done to everybody who is associated. Long may we stay up at the top. I was reading lately that one year we only won one race at Cheltenham. Look at what we are doing now. We are lucky if they do not ban us from over there. That is all I am afraid of because we are winning so much.

The Minister will have to answer as fast as some of those greyhounds.

I will curtail my points for the sake of time. Deputy Aird talked about a funding boost. It is actually a funding investment.

I will be brief.

I was answering Deputy Aird.

We need to give the Minister the opportunity to respond.

He used up his five minutes. I thank Deputy Aird for the points. He talked about a funding boost; I call it an investment. It is an investment in people, jobs and rural Ireland. It is critical. I know that is what the Deputy means by that in terms of a boost. I think about the breeders and the farmers who have that broodmare and the dream of breeding a foal that goes on to be a champion either in the national hunt or on the flat. I think about the number of people who have point-to-point horses or work in that area and that economic activity. An important part of social fabric life of rural Ireland is that people go point-to-point racing and that is their passion. It is a great tradition that we have.

I recall when I had colleagues down for a day in Kildare a number of years ago when I was back bench TD. I wanted to show those who did not know much about the racing industry a day out. It was not just about going to Punchestown races, which was the end of the day. The start of the day started in the training yard on the Curragh. When 60 or 70 horses went out past us to be ridden out by 60 or 70 people - that was one of about three batches to go out that day to go up the Old Vic in the Curragh - my colleagues were suitably impressed. What really impressed them was that when the horses came back into the yard, the van pulling in was the equine laundry. I asked about that business. It employed two people. They took all the covers off the horses and washed them separately and had that business. Those are the indirect jobs.

When we talk about 30,000 jobs, direct and indirect, the farrier who drives into the yard to shoe those horses or fix loose shoes and who has done an apprenticeship in what is a really critical trade and guild is also working in an indirect job. Such jobs spin off the jobs that are directly linked. We know how many of them there are in Kildare and Laois and all over the country. That is what we talk about when we talk about investing in this industry and an investment in that space. The points the Deputy made around the greyhound industry and traceability, I have made already.

The other point to make is that when we talk about welfare, very regularly the focus is obviously on the animal. However, the other key part of the investment that the Deputy touched on regarding the courses is the work of HRI Equuip in the welfare of our staff and people through the training and support available for the people who work with the horses every day. That has improved an awful lot. There are very ambitious plans around the Racing Academy and Centre of Education, RACE, in Kildare that the sector wants to do more on. It is something I am very keen to see developed.

I thank the Minister and his officials for coming in. I will start with greyhound racing. Up to the age of 16, we bred greyhounds at home. Three times a week I would go greyhound racing whether in Waterford or Kilkenny. We won a few races, but we did not make it big or anything. We won a couple of the course cups and stuff like that.

Our dogs were looked after so well. They are the best pets. All they need is a couch and that is it, they are sorted. I have nothing bad to say. I love my dogs. We need to make sure that funding stays there for the greyhound care centres. They are doing such great work to get those dogs rehomed. I encourage anybody to get a greyhound. I was literally brought up with them from when I was a tot and there are no issues around them.

As for horse racing, I have done every job in the industry, bar race riding. I rode on the gallops and from breeding horses - we have horses - I have done the whole lot, including studs, basically being the midwife of horses and some veterinary work, I have done a bit of everything. I have worked for some of the top yards, for some of the sheikhs over in England and in plenty of studs in Ireland. When people think of the prize fund, it does not just stay at the top; it has to filter down. That is how people like me who are employed in the sector get their wages. People need to stop looking at the top figure and thinking that the rich get wealthier. That has to filter down. It does not just filter down to the staff, it filters down to communities. A lot of these areas are in rural Ireland and the industry keeps villages, shops and restaurants going. Those are the bits people do not see.

As we are talking about the drug testing, two weeks ago I was at Goffs, leading a horse around the ring. When you come up out of the chute, you have to stand and wait and a staff member will tell you to wait while they check if you need to go for a blood test. Horses gets spot tested on their blood, even at the sales, even as a foal or yearling or any of that. That happens. It is the case that a horse can be tested at any time. I will say that within the whole industry, stallion fees are too high but I do not suppose the Minister can do anything on that.

I would be the first to call out somebody who neglects any animal, no matter what it is, within dog or horse racing and I have seen cases very close to home where people have neglected horses. The laws are there and in place but they are not implemented. I do not know how somebody can go to court, appeal it and then be able to continue to have horses because they appealed. That bit needs to be fixed because there are always bad eggs and if those bad eggs are pulled out and if it is made public, others will see that if they do that, they will get fined or go to jail, whatever is the case.

A horse has a chip in its neck. It is a little injection and it is just popped in their neck. That is their tag, if you want to call it that. In the case of greyhounds, a good few years ago their ears were being cut off and they were let go around. If they had a chip in their neck, however, there is less of a chance of that happening and that might be a better idea.

The abattoirs are the real issue. There were horses at the sales not selling. We have not had an abattoir for quite a while and I know the reason. There were two different issues. First, horsemeat was being packaged as beef and we all saw the other one as it was aired on television. We need one because we are going to get to a pandemic where we will have horses left in fields, because people do not want to go on racing with them. We cannot introduce a stallion and a mare and get a perfect animal. That is not life. It does not happen like that. Therefore, we will get animals that are not suitable for racing and possibly there will be nowhere else for them to go. Is it better to go to an abattoir or is it better to leave them in a field where their feet get turned up and they do not get any medical attention? A body of work needs to be done on that. We do need abattoirs. It is the most humane way to do it, rather than leave those animals in the field for God only knows what to happen to them.

On the Deputy's point about economic spin-off and the trickle-down effect of that, there are a few parts to that. While the Deputy was talking about the attendance at race meetings I was thinking about its economic impact on, for example, Senator Daly's local area around Kilbeggan race course. On some of those evening race meetings, the people who go up stay over and go to restaurants and bars. People get their hair done and buy clothes. All that economic activity can be multiplied by an awful lot when you think of the bigger festivals and economic activity. In my county when Punchestown is on or the Derby weekend-----

Gowran

-----Gowran for the Thyestes Chase in January or obviously the likes of the Galway Races, Listowel and all the festivals such as Fairyhouse and beyond; they all have that effect.

The Cox Cup in Newbridge also.

Yes, the Cox Cup in Newbridge on the greyhound side. The HRI contributed some €43.5 million in prize money in 2023. Private sponsorship was some €27.4 million. The race horse owners contributed €17 million with the balance from corporate bodies. That economic activity and all of that money is trickling down to all of those jobs and the economic spin-off the Deputy referenced. The Deputy mentioned traceability on the greyhound side and the efforts there. Microchipping of whelps is carried out by Irish Coursing Club officials at 12 weeks or three months, in accordance with the statutory instrument linked to the microchipping of dogs regulations of 2015. It is at this point that every racing greyhound becomes registered on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System, the RCÉTS.

On the Deputy’s point on abattoirs for the horse side, end of life care is a critical part of any animal welfare. I am struck by the relatively low figures that went through that facility. There has to be to that element as part of an overall package. Whether it is horses or greyhounds, there are groups that do a lot of work around the area and are supported to do work around the area of retired horses and greyhounds. In other instances, there has to be the outlet of that facility to make sure that unwanted animals that have a value in other countries for a food chain or something, do not cause a black market. We cannot have that either. That is why a key part of Professor Wall's report is the need for a new abattoir. I support the efforts of those who are looking to do that. My Department will absolutely ensure the highest standards are enforced in that space.

Once horses get any vaccinations, that is it. They are off the food chain.

Yes, once they get on the computer at all.

If I give my horse penicillin and if I have a heifer and I give her penicillin, she can be put through the food chain after a certain number of days but the horse cannot. They are the same drugs. They are from the same bottle of drugs.

That comes down to traceability because any drop of penicillin, antibiotic or anything that goes into a heifer or a cow-----

It all has to be-----

-----is completely traceable all the way back through the system.

It is the same with a horse, though because-----

Yes.

------we cannot get those medicines. Once upon a time, you could but you cannot get them any more.

That comes back to the microchipping and making sure that the horse is-----

I need to let Deputy Healy-Rae in.

We have our cert from the vet and everything.

I will take the point of view on board.

I am sorry, I thought the Minister was finishing up.

We would not do that to the Deputy.

I thank the Minister for being here and thank his team for coming in. I compliment him and appreciate that he continues to fund the horse and greyhound racing industry. Whatever we give those people, it will come back in multiples. I know that and people put their heart and soul into the horses and the dogs. To talk about the dogs in Kerry, people give their whole lives to it. Morning, noon and night they are walking dogs, feeding dogs and going to Tralee to the track. Greyhounds will be racing shortly in Castleisland. It is a continuous thing as whether it is in Barraduff, Tralee or down deep in south Kerry around Ballinskelligs, people are mad for dogs. It keeps them well.

Look at their health and the difference the exercise makes to their own health. It involves exercising every day. We pride ourselves on the events we hold in Kerry, like the Listowel Races, which were mentioned, and in Killarney. Listowel Race week is probably the biggest week of the year. It is close to Galway, anyway. We then have Killarney and there are four meetings there in the year. It brings a massive number of people out and into our towns. There is then the point to point in Dingle and Glenbeigh. We are still sad over the loss of young Jack de Bromhead, who had the accident and passed away. We are all sorry about that.

Horse and greyhound racing is massive and we must continue to support them and help them in any way we can. It is vital for well-being and the economic value it has. It comes back to us again in spades. It gives people enjoyment and gives our country and different parts of our country exposure on the television. We are rightfully proud of the trainers, horses and all that it entails. We really thank the Minister for continuing this. It is great to see this committee is 100% unanimous about it. At different times, other members had a different opinion but we are all glad and supportive of this. We appreciate it very much.

Is it out of order to ask a question about the other thing?

The Deputy will have the opportunity to ask about TB costs in the meeting on the Supplementary Estimates, which is the next meeting that is on and is only half an hour away.

If the Minister could approve any more money that would help us down in Killarney and Listowel, we would like to hear it. We need those events. They are really important. It brings many people into us. It is massive for Kerry. We have great operators down in Kerry. We appreciate it. If the Minister has something to say, I would like to give him the chance.

I thank the Deputy. To come back to a couple of his points, he talked about Listowel and the Harvest Festival, Killarney, the point to point in Dingle and beyond. The fact is there is a real tourism element to this. When you look at the number of English visitors now coming over for Irish race meetings, whether that is Punchestown and the competition that is the rematch after Cheltenham. On the flat side, there are the classics. How they do here and over the water makes a big difference. It brings a lot of investment over and people coming over to spend time here and visit Kerry, Kildare and beyond in that regard.

He also touched on the point about exposure. I attend the thoroughbred breeders awards every year and there are a couple of remarkable awards. One of them is called the Wild Geese Award, where every year, the association picks out an Irish person who learned their trade here in the horse breeding industry and has gone abroad. There are so many Irish people who have gone to America, Australia, Japan and obviously, the UK and France. They are plying their trade and representing our country at a very high level because of that industry. That does huge things for the Irish reputation.

Can I just add one other very important thing?

I really need to get other members in.

We cannot leave out the women, the glamour and the passion. Ladies' Day at these things is a massive event. Believe it or not - the Minister can believe it - we have women in Kilgarvan-----

I need to bring in Deputy Cooney.

There are women in Kilgarvan who won the best dressed ladies at Listowel this year.

Deputy Cooney.

It was Joann Murphy, from Kilgarvan.

I thank the Minister. I compliment him and his team with him this evening on the fantastic work they are doing. We are talking about horse and greyhound racing. As we are well aware, it is part of the culture in Ireland. The more investment we can put into horse and greyhound racing, the better for our country. We know what we have achieved at home and overseas. We also know what businesses gain from it. As Deputy Healy-Rae said, the people involved gain from it too. There are a lot of volunteers involved in both sports, in fairness. Without having sports like that and the support of the people who are involved in it, where would those people be? What is done is simply fantastic and fabulous. The more that can be put into both of those organisations, the better for the sport, going forward. As we all sit around the table here today, I can tell you the country is gaining by what we are investing into it. That is vitally important.

Could we maybe get an update on the all-weather tracks? I know funding has been approved for the Limerick Junction all-weather track. What is the story with the other all-weather tracks throughout the country? Will there be more funding invested into that? Is that part of what we are talking about here this evening? Could we get an update on that from the Minister?

I thank Deputy Cooney for those points and the positive comments regarding the efforts being made. On his point about the volunteers, I am really struck by that. If you look at the volunteers who work in the racing and breeding industry and in particular on race day and on race courses, many volunteers proudly take on a role. They do not get paid for it but they do it because the racetrack is integral to their local area. When I worked at Punchestown Racecourse, one of the jobs I had was managing the staff who were the stewards of each of the jumps. It was a tradition that was handed down through the years and different families managed the flags and the disc at a jump. It is an important role if there is a faller and you have to bypass a fence, they have the job of flagging that. It is a great tradition and even at somewhere as big as Punchestown, a multimillion euro festival that is worth a huge amount of money to the local economy, it is still based on the volunteer. It is similar in Kilbeggan, Ballinrobe and many more of the courses are the same in that regard.

It is similar for the people who volunteer their time from an integrity perspective, like the stewards who work through the IHRB and give their day while getting no recompense for it. They do it to ensure the integrity and so that the person who goes to that race can be sure it is a truly run race, that every horse is trying their best and if someone is not, that is investigated and looked at. It is also for anyone who might have a financial interest in that race as well. They can be assured it is run to the highest standard. That integrity really matters. That is all based on volunteerism too. No more than many other sports we have, there are plenty of people in this industry who give up their time to volunteer for it. That is really important.

On the all-weather tracks, I was delighted to be able to approve and give consent last week to Horse Racing Ireland to enter into a commercial loan facility for €34 million to fund the development of phase 1 of an all-weather track in Tipperary, at Limerick Junction as it is known. The need for an all-weather track in the south end of the country has a very strong business case.

This is true for owners but particularly for trainers and the staff who work with them. Dundalk is a long journey from Munster on a Friday night. We have a lot of horses in training. I go back to the point about the contribution that owners make. Those owners need an outlet for their horses. Not every horse can be a winner at the top festivals on the big day. Those who have horses in training need to get their day out. There is an economic aspect to that activity to that as well. I know it is something that has been well received. I look forward to seeing the progression of the all-weather track in Tipperary as another string to the bow.

Deputies Aird and Newsome Drennan alluded to the attendances at race tracks. Deputy Aird made the point that there are no race tracks closing and that is a great sign. That is down to the entertainment value. As this is Exchequer funding, we have focused on the business case for the horse and greyhound fund. The Deputy outlined in his opening address that this is a key part of the fabric of social activity in Ireland. Thousands of people this weekend will be at the Durkan Day races in Punchestown on Saturday or Sunday. Over the winter there is national hunt racing and over the summer there is flat racing as well. That is why those racecourses are not closing. You can see the number of young people at the student race day in Leopardstown during the summer. The interest is there across all aspects of life from the urban dweller to the rural dweller. It is one of those activities that unites people, as can be seen from the level of people turning up. As Deputy Healy-Rae said, there is a glamour element to that as well. That is investment in your local businesses that sell clothes and provide the other services that go with that.

I am delighted the Minister acknowledged the work of the volunteers because I am well aware of the amount of work that goes in.

We had a greyhound track in Longford that closed, and we saw the economic effect it had on our town. There used to be racing there on a Friday night and it brought in huge crowds of people, but unfortunately it closed.

I would like to discuss something that is close to my heart. As the Minister knows, I keep horses and I am wanting another draught horse. The wait for passports at the moment has increased. I get that we have to have traceability regarding the hair follicle from the mother, the dam sire number and everything else, but the wait for that passport is having an effect on the sales of foals. We have seen some foals advertised that cannot be shown at sales due to the passport not being released. Is there something we can do to facilitate the speeding up of passports being issued?

It is important that the funding stays with the horse racing industry because it supports small tracks like Roscommon racecourse. We know these tracks are very important because we have seen the effect they bring to a local area.

The Deputy has mentioned the economic impact of the closure of the greyhound track in Longford. Greyhound tracks provide employment and a focal point. Nearby businesses will benefit when greyhound racing happens in a town on a Friday night. Another economic activity around greyhound tracks that does not get mentioned is the huge fundraising opportunities for local sports clubs and community and voluntary organisations. It is an affordable night out for a lot of people. Local businesses will sponsor a race for a local cause. You regularly hear of GAA clubs, rugby clubs and other voluntary organisations raising funds in this way. When my own parish was trying to reroof the church, it raised €10,000 at Newbridge greyhound track and everybody had a phenomenal night out. I had a great night out as well. I had a bite to eat. The sponsorship was there. That economic activity is all money that goes around locally as well. Our greyhound tracks provide that opportunity as well as the racing itself.

The point the Senator made about passports comes under Horse Sport Ireland, and does not come under the horse and greyhound fund. There were significant issues with passports being issued for sport horses last year in particular. It was a big cause of concern. There were delays. There was a new computer system. I was frustrated with what was happening. Many people whose business model involves breeding these horses needed to sell on the foals, but did not have an opportunity to do so because they could not do it without the passports. When that happens, it is a cause of concern. While Horse Sport Ireland is not a semi-State body like HRI, it derives a significant amount of income from us for the breeding grants I mentioned earlier. Therefore, we had close engagement with it on the matter. We worked with it to try to address the issues, and I am happy to say there are fewer issues on the passport side now. I will raise the specific point about the wait for the passport and the hair follicles, etc., with Horse Sport Ireland. I will discuss it further with the Senator again. On the broader point, I am satisfied that the issues that led to massive delays in issuing horse passports last year have been addressed. That is really important because when entities have a responsibility like that, it is incumbent on them to deliver in a timely fashion. In this case, if passports are not delivered in a timely fashion, it impacts the whole system, the ecosystem of the sales and everything that goes with that.

Towards the end of the Minister's opening address, he said that "One of the report's key recommendations is to increase, over the medium term, the share of the fund ring-fenced for welfare purposes." For clarity, in 2024 the two greyhound care centres got €291,000 and rehomed 36 dogs. That works out at €8,000 per dog. By contrast, in 2021 a care home got €61,000 and rehomed 38 dogs. How can anybody justify that? As another contrast, DEEL Sighthound Rescue, which is a small voluntary-run rescue in County Limerick, got €15,000 in the budget in 2024 and managed to rehome 143 dogs, of which 23 were racing greyhounds. That works out at €109 per dog. How can the Minister justify that? How is anybody able to make any sense of that? It is an abuse of taxpayer funds, and it seems the Minister is overseeing that.

In 2024, 202 dogs died as a result of injuries sustained on the track and 187 dogs were injured. This means that 5% of all dogs that were put on out a race track last year were dead before the end of the race or shortly after. When I hear talk about welfare and checks and all that, it is clearly not working. There is clearly no regulation or sense to any of that. In terms of-----

What does the Senator mean by no regulation? Every dog track has a vet.

Please, Deputy.

In terms of surgical artificial insemination, that report has been completed and is 16 months in waiting. I am not sure if people know but artificial-----

A vote has been called in the Dáil so members will have to finish up shortly, including the Minister. We are keen to get the last part of the Estimate done before the vote.

Surgical artificial insemination is barbaric. There is a report there. It is outrageous, in 2025, that the Minister has not banned surgical artificial insemination. This practice is banned for all other dogs. Why is it not happening for greyhounds?

The Minister might want to write.

I want the opportunity to respond because we are on the record here. I want to outline that welfare really does matter. The funding model for the greyhound care fund changed on 1 January 2024. The first greyhound care centre was established in July 2020. I am not happy about the number of dogs that have gone through that for rehoming. We want many more to go through it.

The establishment of those centres in recent years shows the change in approach and how we are taking steps in that regard. The report the committee will be furnished with points to increased ring-fencing for welfare. Rásaíocht Con Éireann goes above and beyond what its obligations are in funding welfare elements. That will grow even further on the back of this. On the point the Senator raised about racing tracks, practitioners attend all race meetings, sales and trials at RCE-licensed venues and are the appropriate competent persons to make decisions regarding the welfare of a greyhound. The fact that the Senator has those figures points to the openness and transparency in the system now.

What does the Minister think of the-----

Sorry, Senator, I did not interrupt. Give me my chance to respond. That is why we invest in our greyhound tracks. The very people who raise these points do not want money going into this sector. You need money going into this sector to invest further in our welfare opportunities and beyond, which is really important.

On the point about artificial insemination in greyhounds, my Department held a public consultation on this in 2024, about the practice. The results of this consultation will be published on my Department's website soon. That is under active consideration at the minute. To make it clear, we are on a journey in supporting Rásaíocht Con Éireann. We want to see the figures for the number of dogs being rehomed increasing, but you can only do that when you have your care centres established and your greyhound care fund. We are working with them to make sure that we get better outcomes and better value for money out of that.

On behalf of the committee, I thank the Minister and his officials for their help in considering the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations.