Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 May 2023
527. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the responsibility for the horse and greyhound fund transferred from the Department of Sport to the Department of Agriculture in 2010. [22714/23]
View answer528. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the responsibility for the horse and greyhound fund transferred from the Department of Sport to the Department of Agriculture in 2010. [22715/23]
View answer529. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legal basis under which the hypothecation of the betting tax for the horse and greyhound fund, as is stated in section 12(4) of the Horse and Greyhound Act 2001, was ended in 2009 (details supplied). [22716/23]
View answer530. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of money the State provided to the horse and greyhound fund in 2022; the basis for determining this total; and the key performance indicators or otherwise that the horse and greyhound industries must meet to justify their annual funding totals. [22718/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 527, 528, 529 and 530 together.
The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund (the Fund) under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001. The Fund is distributed in accordance with Section 12(6) of the Act, with 80% going to Horse Racing Ireland and 20% to Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ). The amount of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund was €88 million for 2022.
Responsibility for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001 transferred from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism to the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine as provided for by Section 6 (1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment Act 1939) and Statutory Instrument No. 179/2010 – Horse and Greyhound Racing (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2010.
Statutory Instrument (SI) 179/2010 came into operation on 1st May 2010.
According to the 2021 Power Report, commissioned by RCÉ, the greyhound industry provides and supports considerable employment both directly and indirectly across the Irish economy. It is estimated that in 2019, the industry supported 4,150 full-time and part-time jobs in the economy. In addition, there are 6,211 active greyhound owners. The total number of people deriving economic benefit from the greyhound sector is estimated at 10,361.
The 2017 Deloitte Report into the Economic Impact of Irish Breeding and Racing, commissioned by HRI, indicates that the total direct and stimulated expenditure of the Irish breeding and racing industry is estimated at €1.84 billion in 2016. In addition, it is estimated that the industry supports the direct and indirect employment of 29,000 people.
The initial funding model for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund provided that the Fund would each year be financed by an amount equal to the revenue from excise duty on off-course betting in the preceding year or the year 2000 increased by reference to the Consumer Price Index, whichever was greater (section 12(4) of the Act). This formula applied for the years 2001-2008.
Since 2009 the decision on the proposed annual amount to be allocated to the Fund is made in the context of the budgetary process (estimates allocation). Once the budget is announced, the proposed allocation must be formalised by Regulation. There are currently no plans to change this process.
