Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 4

Written Answers. - Horse Industry.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

70 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the current position in respect of growth and development in the horse industry, with particular reference to draught, sporting and thoroughbred; if the numbers are on the increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13989/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The development of the non-thoroughbred horse industry is generally the responsibility of the Irish Horse Board which has since its formation in 1993 been implementing a strategic development plan for the sport horse sector. In co-operation with the board my Department has been providing a wide range of horse breeding improvement grants from Structural Funds over that period which have been focused on quality to encourage farmers to breed marketable non-thoroughbreds including Irish draughts, sport horses, Connemara and other ponies. Funds have also been provided for the marketing and promotion of such horses and the horse board operates an inward buyer programme with the aid of financial assistance from my Department to encourage people to come to Ireland to purchase Irish horses.

The development of the thoroughbred horse industry is generally the responsibility of the Irish Horseracing Authority, IHA, and funds have been provided by my Department to assist the IHA's subsidiary – Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, ITM – in this area to promote the Irish thoroughbred horse and the export of these horses. ITM has been extremely active and successful in this role in recent years. 1999 saw total public sales of thoroughbred horses increase by 17% over 1998 from £59 million to £69 million. ITM also operates an inward buyer programme for the thoroughbred horse sales and markets the horses in traditional as well as new and potential markets. I have, after consultation with the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association, included in the national development plan for the period 2000 to 2006 further initiatives to assist in the development of the thoroughbred as well as the non-thoroughbred horse breeding and production sectors.

The Irish Horse Register, which is maintained by the Irish Horse Board, shows that the number of mares that were active and the number of foals bred over the last few years has remained fairly constant following a peak achieved in the mid 1990s. The concentration of effort now is on increasing quality and marketability.

The equivalent figures for thoroughbreds registered with Weatherbys Ireland have shown increases of between 15% and 25% over the last five years.