Dáil Éireann

DÁIL ÉIREANN AN COMHCHOISTE UM THALMHAÍOCHT, BIA AGUS MUIR JOINT COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARINE Dé Máirt, 15 Nollaig 2015 Tuesday, 15 December 2015 The Joint Committee met at 2 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT: Deputy Tom Barry, Senator Michael Comiskey, Deputy Pat Deering, Senator Mary Ann O’Brien. Deputy Martin Ferris, Deputy Martin Heydon, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, Deputy Willie Penrose, Deputy Thomas Pringle, In attendance: Deputy Noel Harrington and Senator Denis O’Donovan. DEPUTY ANDREW DOYLE IN THE CHAIR. 1 HARNESS RACING Industry: HORSE RACING IRELAND AND HORSE Sport IRELAND The joint committee met in private session until 2.10 p.m. Harness Racing Industry: Horse Racing Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland Chairman: I welcome the representatives from Horse Racing Ireland: Mr. Brian Kavanagh, chief executive officer, and Mr. Michael O’Rourke, director of marketing and communications. I also welcome the representatives from Horse Sport Ireland: Professor Patrick Wall, chairman, and Mr. Mark Bolger, director of finance and operations. I thank all the witnesses for coming before the committee to give their views on Irish harness racing. I will outline the position on the matter of privilege. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or an entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Mr. Brian Kavanagh: Horse Racing Ireland is the commercial semi-state body responsible for the administration, development and promotion of the thoroughbred horse industry in Ire- land. My colleague, Michael O’Rourke, director of marketing and communications, is before the committee with me today. We are grateful for the invitation to appear before the committee today to address the issue of harness racing and any other matters which the committee members may wish to raise. I wish to place on record on behalf of the board of Horse Racing Ireland our appreciation of the strong interest in our industry that this committee has taken over several years. I know that our sector has been a regular agenda item for this committee in recent years, not least during the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill. The interest our politi- cians take in the industry, as well as their understanding and appreciation of it, is frequently commented on and a source of much envy for competing racing and breeding jurisdictions. This is understandable as, in relative terms, the industry is more important in Ireland than in most other jurisdictions. Horse racing is Ireland’s most successful international sport. The industry contributes €1 billion annually to the Irish economy. Ireland is the largest producer of thoroughbred horses in Europe and the fourth largest producer in the world. This year, it is likely that more thoroughbred foals will have been born in Ireland than in Britain and France combined. Our breeders are widely distributed throughout every county with, on average, three horses on each farm. It is primarily an agricultural industry and sustains up to 16,000 jobs, mainly in rural areas. This is a high-value sector which plays a key role in Ireland’s overall economic recovery. It is envi- ronmentally friendly, labour-intensive and a source of much inward investment in rural Ireland. In short, it is precisely the type of industry that the country should be developing and one that 2 JOINT COMMITTEE ON AGriculture, FOOD AND THE MARINE needs careful minding and protecting. We believe that the industry has the potential to double in value by the end of the decade. Horse Racing Ireland has set out a strategy to achieve this in a plan that we have presented to the Minister. Our confidence in realising the potential of the Irish thoroughbred industry is based on its current position of strength, which is the result of many years of investment by successive Governments as well as the achievements of our present-day owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys and horses. These achievements are built on a centuries-old tradition of breeding and racing horses that has established the Irish thoroughbred as a world leader. Throughout the recession, demand for Irish thoroughbreds remained strong. This was large- ly driven by overseas buyers, who recognised that we have the best horses and horse people in the world. Last year, Irish thoroughbred horses worth €230 million were exported to 34 countries worldwide. Our bloodstock sales have grown every year since 2010, well ahead of the pace of recovery in most other sectors. In recent years, we have also seen resurgence in foreign direct investment in Irish training and breeding establishments. International owners at the top level are buying into the brand of the Irish thoroughbred by placing horses in training here or keeping their breeding stock here. This is an important point, since breeding is where the added value lies. We should remember that the racecourse is where we establish which horses are the best of the breed in terms of speed, stamina and endurance. The range and availability of racecourses in Ireland is one of the keys to our success. Racing success and breeding success are linked and complementary. This is why it is so important that Irish thoroughbred racing is positioned within the agricultural rather than the sporting sector. The Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 specifies that one of the functions of Horse Racing Ireland is the promotion of the Irish thoroughbred horse. This leads to an essential starting point for today’s discussion: the distinction between the thoroughbred and other horses. Another function of Horse Racing Ireland is the development of authorised racecourses. An authorised racecourse is one licensed by the Turf Club under the rules of racing, and these rules are specifically restricted to racing involving thoroughbreds only. A thoroughbred is a strict definition of a type of horse and this is the foundation of the global racing and breeding industry. In short, all thoroughbreds must include, down all lines of its pedigree for at least eight generations, horses registered in the general stud book or associated approved stud books. In fact, all modern thoroughbreds throughout the world trace back to one of three stallions: Byerley Turk, Godolphin Arabian and Darley Arabian. Other equines cannot be classified as thoroughbreds; it is an absolute distinction. This is the principle on which the entire global horse racing and breeding industries are founded. Members who are racing fans will forgive me for making this point, but the difference is frequently misunderstood and may have added confusion at times to the topic in hand today. The horses that compete in harness racing are not thoroughbreds. They are standard breds, a breed that has shorter legs, a longer body and a more placid nature than thoroughbreds. In addition to my role as chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, I serve on a number of international racing bodies. It is remarkable to see the extent to which thoroughbred horse racing has become an international business as well as the extent to which Ireland is placed to in- fluence and benefit from this business. One example of internationalisation which I have heard referred to in earlier committee debates is the Longines Irish Champions Weekend, which was developed specifically to compete at the top level internationally. At this year’s event in early September, CNN produced a documentary news item on the Irish thoroughbred industry which 3 HARNESS RACING Industry: HORSE RACING IRELAND AND HORSE Sport IRELAND was broadcast in over 200 countries to more than 300 million viewers. Another illustration was what happened in Hong Kong last Sunday - I was lucky enough to be there myself. The Hong Kong International Races are the self-styled world thoroughbred championships. This is the most important race meeting in Asia. It was remarkable and a source of great pride to me to report that of the 55 horses trained in eight different countries competing for almost €10 million in prize money in the four international races, one third of them were born and raised in Ireland. Even better, two of the four winners of the international races were Irish bred horses, including Highland Reel, which was trained in County Tipperary by Aidan O’Brien. There was an emo- tional moment when, in the middle of Hong Kong on a sporting field, “Amhrán na bhFiann” was played with aplomb by the local brass band. This serves to illustrate that what happens in Irish racing and breeding attracts worldwide attention and business. Horse Racing Ireland is charged with ensuring that our reputation is enhanced and defended in the global marketplace. This is the context for my observations today about harness racing. I emphasise that Horse Racing Ireland is not opposed to the sport of harness racing or any other equine sport in Ireland. However, they are not within our area of responsibility and it is not our place to take positions on their development.

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