150. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport whether his Department has engaged with an organisation (details supplied) regarding its current examinership, governance arrangements and relationship with its affiliated organisations; whether he is satisfied that appropriate structures are in place to ensure meaningful engagement with affiliates and stakeholders across the eques…
Topics / Horse Racing Industry
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsHorse Racing Industry
63 questions from 21 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 20 October 2026.
63
questions
63 written, 0 oral
21
TDs have asked
8
parties and groups
Independents counted together
2
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 0 |
| March 2025 | 2 |
| April 2025 | 5 |
| May 2025 | 1 |
| June 2025 | 8 |
| July 2025 | 2 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 1 |
| November 2025 | 1 |
| December 2025 | 5 |
| January 2026 | 7 |
| February 2026 | 0 |
| March 2026 | 3 |
| April 2026 | 4 |
| May 2026 | 0 |
| June 2026 | 18 |
| July 2026 | 1 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 2 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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16
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11
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4
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4
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4
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2
Asked of
The questions
602. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific regulatory requirements or governance measures that an association (details supplied) needs to implement in order for Horse Racing Ireland to consider providing financial support to the sector; the engagement that has taken place between the associations in this regard since 2023; and if he will make a statement on the mat…
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 and are under pressur…
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 and veterinary revie…
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, fit-for-purpose and …
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 publicly funded orga…
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 additional veterinar…
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 the Minister is satis…
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 for an organisation…
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 require publication o…
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 performance income a…
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 riders may be requir…
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 if he will require …
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 in international owne…
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 CPBS; and if he will…
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 make a statement on…
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 funding; and if he will…
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 matter. [49672/26]
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 that exists amongst s…
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. [25742/26]