POLITICAL budgets are essentially all about number crunching and successive governments effectively trying to performing a loaves and fishes exercise to try and appease the various hungers of the masses.

There’s more to it than that of course behind the scenes. There’s intensive lobbying from the various sectoral interests for months beforehand, all trying to forward their cause and get the best possible deal.

Political clout and currency has to be build up, causes have to be forwarded, fought for and championed.

Being based in the Irish Farm Centre, which is also the home of the IFA, staff of both The Irish Field and our sister paper, the Irish Farmers Journal, are well used to the sight of the most senior politicans in the land attending various industry events and meetings on our doorstep.

The power and strength of the agricultural lobby is truly something to behold.

A huge amount of work goes into it, sometimes well into the small hours of the morning.

Make no mistake about it, it’s a serious business that’s taken seriously.

Deservedly so.

In the last 12 months, much has been done in this area in the Irish Sport Horse sector and by stalwarts in Horse Sport Ireland.

Much more of course needs to be done if our industry is to be allocated any substantial future funding.

BRIEFINGS

At Tuesday’s press briefing, held by the Department of Agriculture, Minister Creed announced from the top table a budget increase of some €500,000 for Horse Sport Ireland on foot of the recently released Indecon Report. It will bring his Department’s funding of the body to some €2.5m for next year.

At Thursday’s press briefing at the Department of Sport, many sports were singled out for individual mention and funding. Equestrian was not one of them. It went unmentioned in the documents circulated.

It’s apparent we have a mountain to climb to really get our Irish Sport Horse sector - worth some €816m to the Irish economy - well and truly onto the Government’s political radar.