Bernard J. Durkan
Question:96 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position and future prospects for the sporting horse industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14177/03]
Written Answers. - Horse Breeding.
The reputation of the Irish horse is well known all over the world and Irish breeders continually strive to improve the standard of horses bred in this country. Over the last eight years the success of Irish bred event horses has maintained the Irish Sport Horse Stud Book as the leading stud book in eventing with the World Breeding Federation. In show jumping terms the Irish Sport Horse Stud Book is eighth in the world.
The Irish Horse Board Co-operative Society, IHB, is a breeders organisation which maintains the stud book and develops breeding programmes. My Department will provide €560,000 to the IHB in 2003 to assist it in defraying the costs associated with the administration of the organisation itself, the operation of the Irish Horse Register, the stud book for non-thoroughbred horses, and the development of the Irish sport horse breeding and production sector. The IHB also administers a range of equine schemes funded by my Department under the National Development Plan, NDP, 2000-2006.
I am delighted to have been in a position to provide, again under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, substantial grant assistance in 2002 to the Racing Academy and Centre for Education, RACE, for the establishment of a farriery training school in Kildare. Farriery has been identified as an important support service for the horse industry and the availability of quality farriery is seen as critical to the production of marketable quality horses.
My colleague, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism has responsibility for equestrian sports – an area which is represented by the Equestrian Federation of Ireland, EFI.
The Minister and I have jointly welcomed the recent decision by the relevant organisations in the sport horse sector to work towards the establishment of horse sport Ireland as the new unified national governing body, NGB, for equestrian sport and breeding in Ireland.