Horse Racing Industry

608. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the policy his Department has for the equestrian sector given the importance of the sector to the economy as well as its sport and leisure benefits; his or his Department's engagement with equestrian centre representatives to enhance the sector,; if he recognises that equestrian centres are the grass roots of the sport a…

635. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he is aware of concerns that an organisation (details supplied) passporting and IT system may require or result in two barcodes being used in relation to horse identification; whether this could create confusion or risk in the long-term identification of animals; and if he will order an independent technical …

636. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of public and industry money has been spent by an organisation (details supplied) on IT systems over the past five years; who approved this expenditure; the procurement process that was used; if value-for-money assessments were carried out; and if he is satisfied that the systems delivered are functional, …

637. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to stakeholder concerns that, rather than the organisation (details supplied) fixing its IT system, breeders, vets, stallion owners and owners are being forced to change their processes to accommodate a fractured and poorly functioning system; and if he considers this acceptable for a …

638. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that stallion owners are reportedly experiencing payment delays or non-payment due to an organisation's (details supplied) passporting or IT system failures; the number of such cases that have been reported; the financial impact this is having on stallion owners and breeders. [48889/26]

639. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that breeders are reportedly being required to call out vets more than once due to failures or delays in an organisation's (details supplied) passporting process; if his Department has assessed the additional cost to breeders; and whether this organisation will be required to compensate breeders where …

640. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the medical, physiotherapy, equine physiotherapy, veterinary, psychological, logistical and performance supports provided by horse sport Ireland to Irish equestrian athletes and horses at the most recent Olympic games; how this compared with supports provided to athletes in other publicly funded sports; and whether t…

643. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether a high performance expenditure within an organisation (details supplied) is subject to full board oversight, independent review and stakeholder scrutiny; whether it is accurate that high performance spending is treated as being solely under the remit of the executive; and whether he considers this appropriate…

661. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether an organisation (details supplied) has provided a full breakdown of expenditure related to the most recent Olympic Games; whether it is correct that staff in the organisation chose accommodation outside of that provided by the Olympic Federation at an additional cost to the organisation; and whether he will r…

663. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether an organisation (details supplied) has provided the Department with detailed high performance accounts for each of the past five years; whether these accounts are reviewed by the Department, Sport Ireland or any other State body; and whether the Minister will require the organisation to publish detailed high …

664. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an organisation (details supplied) has introduced a high performance levy of €45 per FEI entry; whether he has assessed the financial impact this will have on Irish riders, young riders, professional riders, owners and breeders; and if he considers it appropriate that …

665. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he accepts that additional levies imposed by an organisation (details supplied) may create barriers to entry for young riders and professional riders without significant family wealth; whether any equality, access or affordability assessment was carried out before the high performance levy was introduced; and…

666. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he has considered the potential impact of an organisation (details supplied) may high performance levy on Ireland’s competitiveness internationally; whether the levy may make Irish riders more expensive for owners compared with riders competing under other national federations; and whether this could result i…

677. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 569 of 23 June 2026, 194 of 10 June 2026, and 571 of 23 June 2026, to clarify if grant funding is awarded solely on the submission of a DNA verification sample and receipt, or if funding is dependent upon successful DNA parentage verification and registration of the foal with …

678. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 569 of 23 June 2026, 194 of 10 June 2026, and 571 of 23 June 2026, to clarify, where a DNA sample fails to produce a result and a second sample is required, if grant funding is available for the repeat test; if funding is limited to the initial application only; and if he will…

679. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 569 of 23 June 2026, 194 of 10 June 2026, and 571 of 23 June 2026, to provide the date that a society (details supplied) submitted its first-time foal DNA verification grant claim in 2025; the number of foals that were included in that claim and subsequently received grant fun…

680. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 569 of 23 June 2026, 194 of 10 June 2026, and 571 of 23 June 2026, the number of first-time foal DNA verification applications that received funding after 15 October 2025 under the equine technical support and equine breeding scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matt…

1469. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider decoupling funding for the horse racing industry from that of the greyhound industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41482/26]

1505. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to prevent the over-breeding of horses for the horse-racing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43006/26]

384. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider the implementation of an independent oversight body for horse welfare for the horse racing industry given concerns that have been raised (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31561/26]

395. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the new equine slaughter facility; and the proposed opening date. [31795/26]

2249. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of funding given to Horse Sport (HSI) Ireland in each of the past five years; the extent of the oversight that his Department has relative to how the funding is spent; if there is a formal memorandum of understanding is in place; if his attention has been drawn to the serious disquiet and lack of trust t…

2264. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount paid out by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) in 2025 to hunts in point-to-point racing grants, by the name of the hunts, the name and dates of the point-to-point race meetings organised by each hunt and the corresponding amounts paid out by HRI for prize money, administration grants and so on for all the meetings…

382. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the context of his role as Minister with responsibility for the thoroughbred sector, his views on the thoroughbred foal levy; if he accepts that the application of the levy to breeders could be made more equitable than it is at present; if he has any plans to study the situation, and make recommendations for ch…

383. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has examined the method whereby funds collected under the thoroughbred foal levy are distributed; if he has received proposals from within the sector for change in approach or in methodology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21195/26]