THE MINISTER for Agriculture, Michael Creed, was a special guest at the ITBA National Breeding & Racing Awards last weekend. He took to the stage to answer a number of questions posed by master of ceremonies, Leo Powell.

Asked for his general impressions of the bloodstock industry, Minister Creed said he quickly became aware of the sector’s high international profile. “One of the great opportunities in this role is to travel globally. Most recently, I was in south-east Asia and Japan, where I some interesting conversations about Irish racing. Also when in the UAE I became aware of the global recognition the industry has.”

However, he said he is equally impressed with the broad reach of the domestic racing and breeding industry. “It is imperative to keep our status internationally but the rock it is built on is the local foundations.”

The Minister agreed that the racing industry “ticks a lot of boxes” in terms of deserving Government support as it is rural-based, environmentally-friendly, cross-border and it attracts significant overseas investment.

“The Government places an emphasis on industries that bring in foreign investment and that leads many people to think of tech companies like Google and Apple. But foreign investment in equines is equally important and with a better geographical spread. There are 2,000 horses in training here owned by 500 people living abroad.

“This is a mobile industry and none of it can be taken for granted, so it is vital we are operating within the optimum policy framework.”

Pressed on whether racing deserved an increased level of Government investment, the Minister said: “We have come through a tough decade and there has been upward trajectory of €6 million in the Horse & Greyhound Racing Fund for each of the years from 2015 to 2017. This year we succeeded in maintaining that level. As the economy continues to recover we can hopefully see opportunities for further investment.”

The fact that ‘racing’ is no longer classified as an agriculture does not directly impact on stud farms but it was a hot topic for many in the room and the Minister was asked for his view.

“I don’t want to cut across any appeals going through the courts but I do want to acknowledge that there is widespread concern over the recent Labour Court ruling,” he said.

“I want to assure the industry that my department is acutely aware of the implications it has for the industry, particularly the smaller operators who would probably be put out of business if the ruling is enforced.”

He said the judgement was being studied by his Cabinet colleagues “as it is a cross-department matter” and the issue was receiving attention at senior official level.