Vol. 408 No. 9
23 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, if having regard to his speech to the conference on the The Horse Business at Thomond College, Limerick on 16 January 1991, he will outline the structural changes he wishes to see in the horse racing industry; if, in particular, he has any plans to make the organisations which control horse racing any more accountable; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The body charged with the responsibility for the improvement and development of the industry is the Racing Board which was established under the Racing Board and Racecourses Act, 1945 I am at present having legislation drafted which will amend and update certain provisions of this Act including that relating to the composition and constitution of the board. I hope to introduce a draft Bill in the House in the near future.
I am pleased that the Minister sees the need to revamp racing for infrastructural changes in the racing sector in particular. As to what amendments will be made to the Racing Board Act, 1945, the Minister's reply was rather vague. I particularly wish to know if it is intended to assist the small race courses and smaller breeders, particularly national hunt racecourses, rather than the up market Curragh and Leopardstown courses.
I am sure the Minister is aware that some of these racecourses are keeping going by a miracle year after year and that some are on the verge of collapse. We have already had a major racecourse here in Dublin, the Phoenix Park, collapse. However, I am talking about ones which have only a couple of race meeting a year.
I would ask the Minister if the structural changes have any particular purpose. The Minister seemed to be putting the emphasis on the need for racing from the tourism point of view which would be closely allied to Bord Fáilte. That was something that worried me very much because I thought the Minister for Agriculture and Food was the man who should be most closely aligned with it. Had the Minister anything particular in mind when he spoke of restructuring? Did he have any particular type of racecourse, any type of breeder in mind?
I do not think the Minister for Agriculture and Food referred at all to structural changes that he might or might not wish to see in the horse racing industry. On the question of aid or assistance towards development, the Racing Board are appointed by the Minister and their responsibility is the improvement and development of horse breeding and horse racing generally. Recently £12 million in grant aid was allocated to be spent over the period 1990 to 1993 to assist with such development. Naturally the members of the Racing Board would be the people in the best position to gauge what the priorities should be as far as expenditure is concerned and I am sure the Minister for Agriculture and Food will be having due regard to the recommendations.
I hope that in this new legislation a degree of democracy will be brought into the affairs of horse racing in this country. At present the Minister appoints the Racing Board. Unfortunately the Racing Board do not control racing. Racing is controlled by a small group of self appointed individuals who might classify themselves as aristocrats or the like and they are not appointed by any Government Minister, nor by any democratic system; they are known generally as the Turf Club and they have absolute control of racing here. Does the Minister foresee that this legislation will eliminate that undemocratic system so that we will have a proper system that is answerable to this House and to the public in general?
The Turf Club administer the rules of racing. They have filled that role for the past 200 years and, I suppose, like every other regulatory body they have their critics. I cannot say that I have personal experience of the difficulties on the race track so I am at a disadvantage in answering the question, but the criticism of the Turf Club by Deputy Deasy would appear to be unwarranted.
Everybody in the racing industry would agree with me.
Is the Minister not aware of the very trenchant criticism by our most successful racing trainer on the "Late Late Show" recently when he strongly condemned the whole administration of racing and looked for root and branch changes in the administration of racing? Are his views as a man of great knowledge in this area not going to be at least considered for the betterment of the whole racing industry?
Given that the industry is so substantial and that more than 12,000 are employed — a significant number of organisations are involved — I am sure the provisions in the legislation will reflect the needs of the day.
We want a democratic system of control, that is all.
In the absence of the Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Minister of State here said the Minister did not call for structural changes in his speech in Thomond College. In fact, the Minister said specifically that structural changes would be needed in the racing sector. I am interested in what he had in mind. I hope the Minister of State will convey to him some of the concerns in this House. I agree with Deputy Deasy in regard to the interference of the Turf Club in the business of the Racing Board. I also agree that the rules of racing are supposed to be their job, but they are concerned in more than that——
They regulate fixtures.
Exactly, which kills the small racecourses. They can only pick up whatever fixtures are left over. That is what I understood the Minister meant by "structural changes". I ask the Minister of State if he will convey our concerns in this regard to the Minister for Agriculture and Food and perhaps the senior Minister will inform us what structural changes he has in mind.
Naturally the Minister will have due regard to the observations expressed in the House and I am sure those who will be charged with framing the legislation will have due regard to them also. I will convey the Deputy's sentiments to the Minister.
