Turf Club seek meeting over proposed new Horse Racing Bill

Turf Club officials are urgently seeking a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine, Simon Coveney, over the Horse Racing Ireland Bill which the Government hopes to pass into legislation before any spring election.

The published bill, that deals with the future administration and governance of racing in this country and is designed to deal with accountability systems and streamline certain administrative functions, has been through extensive pre-legislative examination with stakeholders appearing before an Oireachtas joint-committee.

However differences between racing’s governing body, Horse Racing Ireland, and its integrity body over the sport’s regulation potentially still exist, differences which last February saw the Turf Club threaten to legally challenge sections of the bill if it got passed into law.

Concerns over funding changes, and a potential impact on its regulatory independence, prompted the Turf Club's chief executive Denis Egan to say then that the body had been treated with "contempt" by department officials and that "the independence of our integrity function is being threatened".

Those concerns could be coming to the boil again eight months later as the bill is essentially unchanged including Section 11 – dealing with the rules of racing – stating that the “Racing Regulatory Body is solely and independently responsible for the making (following consultation with HRI) and enforcing the rules of racing.”

Although no public comment has been made on the situation by Turf Club officials to date, Denis Egan has confirmed: “We are seeking a meeting with the Minister and he has already said he will consider what we have to say.”

Amendments

Technically, amendments to the bill can still be tabled before it is passed into law as it progresses through the houses of the Oireachtas but as it stands the bill states the new HRI board will be reduced to 13 people with a chairman appointed by the Minister for Agriculture.

Turf Club representation is set to be reduced from five to three members with three other members directly appointed by the Minister. Owners, trainers, breeders, racecourses, the betting industry, and stable staff will have one member each.

However, as well as independent regulation, it is proposed changes to the funding structure which appear to be causing significant concern at the Turf Club, especially in relation to fees from point to point racing.

Earlier this year, Egan also said: “It is proposed our revenues will be taken into account when determining the budget we receive from HRI for integrity. What does ‘taken into account’ mean? Twenty per cent? Fifty? Our barrister’s phrase is that it is a ‘void for uncertainty’.

“At the moment we have a separate source of income which has been helpful on occasions when HRI has refused to pay what we’re supposed to get from them. If we are totally dependent on them, it would mean a complete loss of independence. We would in effect be totally dependent on handouts.”

Last week’s budget saw the Government confirm a €6 million addition for next year to the Horse & Greyhound Racing Fund, bringing it to a total of €74 million. €4.8 million of the extra money will go to horse racing.

After the budget, Minister Coveney said in a report that he is prepared to try and accommodate Turf Club concerns but also insisted he is not prepared to change the focus of the legislation.

Plans are also expected to be outlined for the proposed new €55 million redevelopment of the Curragh which Minister Coveney has said will help “revitalise” Irish racing.