Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue is set to discuss financial supports for horse and greyhound racing with the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The meeting at 5:30p.m today (Wednesday, November 22) will examine the draft Horse and Greyhound Fund Regulations 2023.
Budget 2024 allocated €95 million for the horse and greyhound racing fund.
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) will receive €76 million or 80% of the funding, while the remaining €19 million will go to Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI).
Committee
Speaking ahead this evening’s meeting in Leinster House, chair of the Oireachtas committee Deputy Jackie Cahill said:
“The horse and greyhound racing industries provide jobs, generate revenue and play an important role in Irish sport at home and abroad.
“Ongoing financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund is pivotal to the viability of both industries, which combined have an economic impact of nearly €2.5 billion and benefit 40,000 people through direct and indirect employment,” the Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary said.
“The committee looks forward to engaging with the minister on how this exchequer funding will contribute to the continued survival and development of these sectors,” he added.
Following that discussion, there will be a meeting of the Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. which is made up of TDs, to discuss the 2023 Supplementary Estimates for Public Services with Minister McConalogue.
The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.