Oireachtas Committee looking into doping claims in racing set to be virtual event

It is expected that a hearing by the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture & the Marine into claims of doping in Irish racing by trainer Jim Bolger will be held virtually rather than in person.

Both Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) have told the committee of their availability to appear before it on Wednesday week (July 8th). Representatives from the Department of Agriculture are also expected to appear.

The Committee has also issued an invitation to Bolger who has rocked the sport with claims that drugs are Irish racing’s number one problem and criticised the IHRB for failing to find drug cheats.

The Committee's chairman, Jackie Cahill, has said Bolger's comments were doing "serious reputational damage" to the industry and it was important they are either "substantiated or put to bed".

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Bolger has not named names in various interviews but is adamant cheating is going on.

Whether or not the veteran trainer will be allowed expand on his comments if he appears before the Committee is unclear.

Nominally witnesses are protected by absolute privilege but are also instructed to not criticise or make charges against any person or entity in such a way as to make them identifiable.

There is also a distinction made about the extent of privilege within “parliamentary precincts” as opposed to comments from witnesses outside of them.

One document relating to the matter states: “Witnesses who are to give evidence from outside the parliamentary precincts are asked to note that they may not benefit from the same level of legal immunity from legal proceedings as a witness giving evidence from within the parliamentary precincts and may consider it appropriate to take legal advice on this matter”.

Some sources within racing also haven’t ruled out witnesses appearing before the committee on Zoom but from rooms within the houses of the Oireachtas.

Bolger has said he is unable to name names of those he believes are breaching the drug rules because he does not want to end up in the High Court.