Dick Spring
Ceist:8 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the basis on which the budget allocation of £500,000 was made to the greyhound industry this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Greyhound Industry.
As announced in the budget, a sum of £3.5 million to be provided in 1990 and in each of the next three years is intended to allow the Racing Board and Bord na gCon to accelerate their investment programmes at courses and to enchance generally the attractiveness of, and incentives for, racing.
Of the £14 million to be made available over the four year period, £2 million has been allocated to Bord na gCon. This was decided having regard to the respective needs of the horse and greyhound racing industries.
As I have previously indicated, assistance for greyhound breeding has also been included in the draft rural development programme which I have submitted to the EC Commission for Structural Funds support.
I thank the Minister for his reply.
The Minister said that of the £14 million which will be made available over a four year period only £2 million will be allocated to the greyhound industry while £12 million will be allocated to the horse industry. Does the Minister not agree that the greyhound industry makes a tremendous contribution to Irish exports and is a valuable alternative farming enterprise given the low level of income from farming generally?Does he not also agree that he has let down the greyhound industry with the disproportionate allocation of this £14 million?
If giving extra money over and above what was ever available from any Government is letting down the industry then I wonder what their reaction is to those who did not allocate any money to them over a number of years. As the Deputy will be aware, I have also made provision for greyhound breeding to be included in the draft rural development programme. This covers the point made by the Deputy. I agree with the Deputy that the greyhound industry is a good example of an alternative enterprise for people living in rural Ireland. I can assure the Deputy that I will be advancing this concept as vigorously as possible.
It is a poor substitute——
(Interruptions.)
Deputy Hogan.
Does the Minister not agree that he has failed to divide the sum of £3.5 million announced in the budget proportionately between the racing and greyhound industries? In view of the tremendous importance of the rationalisation of greyhound tracks and the need to carry out major improvements to greyhounds tracks does the Minister not agree that £500,000 will go nowhere towards providing the necessary facilities which will increase and boost the industry further? I think——
I must dissuade the Deputy from making a speech and being repetitious.
The Minister will have to accept that he is not providing sufficient money.
The Deputy has made his point.
The Deputy will accept that while £500,000 may not go very far it is £500,000 more than the amount provided by his party when in Government. However, we are not talking about £500,000 but £2 million.
The Minister has a habit of harking back; parish pump politics.
I have introduced a provision that did not exist when the Deputy's party were in Government, special support under the rural development scheme for breeders and owners. That is evidence of our commitment to the industry.
When will the details be announced?
Is the Minister satisfied that £2 million is adequate to ensure that greyhound tracks are not closed?
I will be meeting Bord na gCon next week to discuss the programme they have submitted to me. It is a matter for them to decide which tracks should remain open, which should be closed and which tracks should have the appropriate facilities. We are all anxious that the best facilities should be available at our tracks because otherwise we will not get the crowds and we will not make money. After the discussions next week I will be better informed as to the board's views.