Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 December 2022
397. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1299 of 8 November 2022, the outcome of his Department's review of a number of investment proposals submitted by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62942/22]
View answerThe Irish Harness Racing Association (IHRA) is a representative body for Harness Racing in Ireland.
My Department funded the Indecon Review of the Irish Harness Racing Sector at a cost of some €57,000 in 2017 and a five-year Strategic Plan for the IHRA at a cost of some €64,000 in 2018.
In addition, from 2016 to date, grants totalling some €175,000 have been paid to the IHRA under my Department's Equine Infrastructure Scheme. Some €4,300 has been paid to date in 2022 to the IHRA under the Equine Infrastructure Grant Scheme. A balance of some €22,700 has been allocated to the IHRA under this scheme for 2022 subject to terms and conditions.
My Department also awarded a tender to carry out an education programme aimed at road racing sulky participants and owners of trotting horses, with a view to raising awareness of the importance of good horse welfare. This programme ran between 2017 and 2019 with a total funding allocation of some €96,000.
The IHRA has submitted a number of investment proposals to my Department which are currently being reviewed by my officials.
