I am pleased that the Minister sees the need to revamp racing for infrastructural changes in the racing sector in particular. As to what amendments will be made to the Racing Board Act, 1945, the Minister's reply was rather vague. I particularly wish to know if it is intended to assist the small race courses and smaller breeders, particularly national hunt racecourses, rather than the up market Curragh and Leopardstown courses.
I am sure the Minister is aware that some of these racecourses are keeping going by a miracle year after year and that some are on the verge of collapse. We have already had a major racecourse here in Dublin, the Phoenix Park, collapse. However, I am talking about ones which have only a couple of race meeting a year.
I would ask the Minister if the structural changes have any particular purpose. The Minister seemed to be putting the emphasis on the need for racing from the tourism point of view which would be closely allied to Bord Fáilte. That was something that worried me very much because I thought the Minister for Agriculture and Food was the man who should be most closely aligned with it. Had the Minister anything particular in mind when he spoke of restructuring? Did he have any particular type of racecourse, any type of breeder in mind?