Results 481-500 of 1,051,037 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Jackie Cahill) in 'Committee meetings'

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I call Mr. Corrigan from Showjumping Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I thank Mr. Corrigan. We will give Deputy Flaherty 15 minutes before we move to Senator Boyhan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I thank all the groups for coming in to us. Probably a year on, it is disappointing that we have not seen any change in the situation. If anything, it has got progressively worse and certainly the feedback we are getting with regard to passports is that the situation has deteriorated significantly. Anecdotally, I am being told by staff in Horse Sport Ireland and also people trying to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: We have an irony here in that the Department of agriculture has given €600,000 in Brexit funding to Horse Sport Ireland to administer and process passports and, at the same time, it is writing out to sales venues and telling them they cannot process the sale of foals unless they have a passport. The market is breaking down. We already see a fallback in the sales and value of young...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Mr. Corrigan said he was disappointed with the Olympics, as the whole country was. We were expecting some kind of medal, of whatever colour. Across the world, we were winning at every show in the lead-up to the Olympics. I think we have four of the top 20 rider-and-horse combinations in the world. Does Mr. Corrigan have any idea why there was a breakdown at the Olympics?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Mr. Corrigan said specifically with regard to funding in November 2015 that he wanted to challenge a contribution on that. What was that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Many of Mr. Draper's members in the Irish draught horse community will be very aware of the passport situation. Is Mr. Draper worried about his stud book in the current climate and the issues with the passports?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I am just looking at another email that would have come through this week. Is Mr. Draper aware that a senior member of the passport team left Horse Sport Ireland last week?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Is Mr. Draper aware that a number of staff members have left the organisation in the last number of weeks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Is Mr. Madden aware of that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: That would include a senior member of what I would call the passport team.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Would it be fair to say based on the experience of the last two years in particular that breeders are leaving the market?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Obviously, we have great respect for the RDS and for the Dublin Horse Show in particular given our historical connection and the fact that the very first horse show was held on the gardens of Leinster House beside Merrion Square. We have great affinity with the RDS. Would Mr. Madden say we were at a crisis in the sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: As representative of the various establishments around the country, would Mr. McCartan say they were disappointed at this juncture at the Department of agriculture's failure to intervene in this situation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Mr. McCartan very much. I will come back to Mr. Draper and Mr. Madden. With regard to the Brexit adjustment funding and the €600,000 for the new passport system that was allocated to Horse Sport Ireland, are the witnesses hearing that there are glitches and issues within that system to the point that it can get as far as issuing a DNA ID kit, but there are issues with it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: No passport has been issued on the new system. How long has the new system been up and running?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Would every one of those 16 foals have had to pay the additional €150?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Does Mr. Byrne wish to make a comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I will conclude on one point, and it is not a question. We have had €600,000 allocated for a new passport system. I know it is not on a par with a bike shed or a security hut, but it is still €600,000 of public money that has been given for a system that we are being told has to date not issued a passport. It is alarming for us. As I said, we will discuss it in private, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I thank Mr. McFadden. I call Deputy Ring.