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Horse Sport Ireland

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021

Wednesday, 28 April 2021

Ceisteanna (1145)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

1145. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the relationship his Department has with Horse Sport Ireland; the basis on which that relationship was set up; the reporting mechanism that exists for funds provided by his Department to the organisation; if he plans to establish Horse Sport Ireland on a statutory basis; the objective in terms of co-ordinating the affiliate organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21664/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is a company limited by guarantee and is the national governing body for equestrian sport in Ireland. It is recognised by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the Irish Sports Council, the Olympic Council of Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland. It was established in 2007 when the Equestrian Federation of Ireland and the Irish Horse Board were amalgamated, bringing together the breeding and competition sectors, on the basis of a Government commissioned report on the sector at the time. It receives State funds from the Department and through Sport Ireland.

It is responsible for devising and implementing strategies for the development and promotion of an internationally competitive Irish sport horse industry (breeding, sport and leisure aspects). HSI is approved by DAFM to maintain the Irish Sport Horse, Irish Draught Horse, Irish Sport Pony and Irish Cob Studbooks and it operates a comprehensive breed improvement programme and undertakes promotional and marketing initiatives.

There are annual Service Level Agreements between my Department and Horse Sport Ireland which set out the governance/funding arrangements and reporting mechanisms in detail.

The Board of Horse Sport Ireland, which was rationalised following the implementation of an independent report by Indecon Consultants in 2017, provides links with the all affiliate bodies through advisory councils. Indecon Consultants had carried out a comprehensive review of the structure in the 2017 report and recommended certain governance changes which have since being implemented. 

I am not aware of any proposal or any request to change its configuration.

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