In one of my first contributions in this House on a budget debate I called for the setting up of a single authority to run the horseracing industry. Having listened to the contributions of Opposition Deputies, one would think that the Minister was introducing measures which the industry had not sought and did not want. The opposite is the case. The Minister and his officials had consultations with the various sectors in the racing industry over a long time.
This Bill proposes to dissolve the Racing Board and establish a single authority to run the racing industry. People have objected to some minor points in the Bill for their own reasons, but by and large the racing industry is delighted with the steps being taken by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Joe Walsh. The racing industry is happy to have a Government in power which knows the industry and what it needs and is about to put its money where its mouth is.
The racing industry has provided employment for many years. The Turf Club was established more than 200 years ago and the Racing Board was set up approximately 50 years ago. Until 1989 the racing industry, which has been one of our most successful industries, received no financial assistance from the Government. Those involved in the industry knew that funding was badly needed if the industry was to compete successfully with the racing industries in Britain, France and other countries and, as a leisure industry, with other industries in Ireland. The Minister has set about rectifying this problem by giving the industry the necessary injection of capital it requires and putting it on a sound basis.
In 1989 the Government made a contribution to the racing industry for the first time ever, and this contribution has been continued each year since then. The Minister has agreed to more than double the allocation of £3 million which the industry has received for the past four years to approximately £6.75 million this year.
Deputy Doyle argued that 2 per cent of off-course betting receipts should be allocated to the racing industry each year. Last year off-course betting amounted to £350 million and the percentage of that bet on Irish racing was very small — punters bet on many other sports also. Bookmakers can see the niche in the market and sell customers the products they want.
I estimate that 65 per cent of the turnover in betting shops today is on other racing activities and the remainder on horse racing. There is greyhound racing, football, golf and a number of other sporting activities, but if money was directly allocated to the racing industry from off-course betting it would merely open up similar avenues or possibilities for other organisations; there would be nothing to prevent the GUI or FAI seeking a percentage. The racing industry here, without any assistance, has provided tremendous employment over many years. As its potential is now fully acknowledged the time has come for the industry to be assisted. I am delighted that the Minister has set about doing so.
While people might be very critical of the Turf Club and the Racing Board, individually they have made a tremendous contribution to our racing industry. They must have been doing something right or the industry would not be in its present good state although many ills remain to be cured. However, compared with the industry in other countries, it is not as bad as we are sometimes led to believe. While both organisations have made a tremendous contribution to the industry, together they have not worked well, which has cost the industry dearly. The Minister's proposal to establish one Horseracing Authority is all the more welcome for that reason.
I want to draw a few comparisons between the racing industry here and elsewhere. I listened to Deputy O'Malley talk here last week about Hong Kong. People sometimes tend to forget that our population is a mere 3.5 million, not 35 million or 350 million. In establishing this new Horseracing Authority, we must ensure that it will not be comprised of a group of people merely talking to themselves but of those who have been directly involved in the activities of the Racing Board and the Turf Club. These people will have a serious task ahead. It will be important that the Minister gives them the right riding instructions and ensures that they are carried out. Therefore, the appointment of appropriate members will be of immense importance.
In recent times an SP office was set up on the track at Leopardstown, much welcomed by the majority of racegoers and widely used. However, because bookmakers on the track objected and said it reduced their take on the day, the office was closed. That type of confrontation cannot be allowed to continue. There are sectoral interests within the racing industry very keen to defend their little patch. We must examine the racing industry and not allow some sectors to over-influence policy. I hope that this new Authority will ascertain consumer needs, the fact that something may have worked well in recent years is not sufficient justification for its continuance. The industry is in need of a major shakeup.
I might now draw some comparison between horses in training here and those in Britain. Last year there were approximately 4,750 horses in training here, not all of which would have run but there were 1,800 races during the year involving £12.5 million in prize money, giving average prize money for each race of just below £7,000. In Britain there were approximately 11,000 racehorses in training last year involved in 7,162 races with prize money slightly in excess of £51 million, again averaging out at a little over £7,000 per race. Therefore, there is little or no difference between the prize money here and in Britain but we have a greater number of horses competing; for every race run here there are 2.63 horses whereas the corresponding figure in Britain would be 1.53. We have too many horses and the biggest criticism is that there is much "stopping" engaged in whereas, if the truth were known, it would be very easy to stop many of them; the greatest difficulty is to get them going. I suppose the market will sort out that difficulty but, in the meantime, it is not helping the racing industry.
We have 300 trainers nationwide whereas in Britain there are approximately 550. It is nothing short of a miracle that we have so many. I do not know how some survive but it would appear they are willing to take a chance and, without knowing what lies ahead, are prepared to battle on. I wish them all well. They are a source of tremendous employment, particularly in Kildare, and we have seen many spring up nationwide. Many trainers are people who, on leaving school, become involved in racing, many of whom remain in the industry for the remainder of their lifetime. I should like to see a more professional approach to their training. The racing centre at the Curragh engages in training on a small scale but has an almost 100 per cent success rate in finding employment for their trainees at the end of each session. Perhaps the Minister for Enterprise and Employment would examine that matter with a view to providing some type of financial assistance to these apprentices.
The Minister referred to the serious decline in on-course betting in recent years. No doubt people involved in the racing industry argue that we are very dependent on a small number of punters, big betters, who created a big stir in the ring when they moved. However, many of them are not as active as heretofore. leading to a major decline in on-course betting.
When established this new Authority should endeavour to render racing activities more attractive to families generally. It has become a very expensive outing for them with admission charges, placing a few bets and purchasing drinks and meals. If we are to revitalise the racing industry it is particularly important that admission fees are reviewed. We have seen considerable improvement in the facilitites provided at a number of tracks nationwide, which must continue, because there is enormous competition overall within the leisure industry. It is vital that the racing industry acknowledges that competition and copes with it.
It must be difficult for people not involved in racing to understand some of the terms used. The word "novice" is frequently used — it has nothing to do with religious orders — for a young horse starting out who has not won and is normally associated with the national hunt; a maiden in the Curragh is a two or three year old who has not won a race; a short head, which has nothing to do with the size of the horse's head, is the term used for the winning margin. It would be no harm to produce a booklet explaining some of the racing terms. It may not be a best seller but it would make interesting reading.
I have serious reservations about section 19 which deals with the race-fixtures committee and I wonder whether it is necessary. It states:
(1) The Authority shall establish a committee ("the race-fixtures committee") to recommend in accordance with the terms of reference decided by the Authority the fixing of the annual list of race-fixtures.
(2) The members of the race-fixtures committee shall be appointed by the Authority and shall consist of the following members—
(a) a chairman who shall be both a member of the Authority and a steward of the Racing Regulatory Body, . . .
If we are setting up a horseracing authority we ought to tell them exactly what is required rather than restrain them in this manner.
The matter of race fixtures is a very important issue and has caused problems for me on a number of Sundays. Frequently hurling and football matches in Croke Park take place on the same day as race meetings. In Kildare the Moyglare stakes has clashed with the county final on a number of occasions. It is difficult to be in two places at the one time, although I would like to be. When the race-fixtures committee is setting out the list of fixtures for the year consideration should be given to other sports to try to avoid clashes. I realise it is not easy as we have only 52 Sundays in the year. While racing does not take place all the year round, summer racing is very popular. In the case of important races it is important to avoid such clashes in the future.
The attractiveness of racing and what has gone wrong with it has received much publicity recently. A number of people in Kildare who are keen racegoers have no hesitation in selecting the national hunt as being much more popular than flat racing. From a breeding point of view it is important to have a number of group races to maintain the standard of Irish racing but it is not proving attractive to the customer.
During the next couple of years we should try to put in more handicaps rather than have cards covered with group races and maidens in the Curragh. We must have more open racing on which punters are prepared to bet. Many of the races for two and three year old maidens have been dominated by two or three trainers and in many cases there are odds on favourites in the races which turns people off and they lose interest. We will have to restore the racing industry to a healthy state and make Ireland the greatest racing country in the world.
I compliment the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Walsh, on the initiative he has taken. The racing industry is indebted to him. He is a man who understands racing, knows what it is about and knows what it needs. Despite opposition from a few quarters, the racing industry respects and acknowledges what he is trying to do. I have no doubt it will be a success but when the authority is being put in place I appeal to him to appoint people who will represent the overall industry and not to forget the consumer. I agree with the attitude of the Racing Club of Ireland, to which reference was made last week. The opinions of consumers must be sought on this occasion and acted on. I thank the Minister and wish him every success. I think he is on a winner.