MINISTER for Agriculture Michael Creed disclosed that a €160,000 fund for sport horse breeding was on the table at a Budget 2017 briefing at Agriculture House on Kildare Street on Wednesday.

When asked for further details of the fund, the Department issued a one-line statement last night which read: “Our intention is to provide an additional €160,000 for Horse Sport Ireland to assist with the implementation of aspects of Reaching New Heights.

There was no response from the Department to multiple requests for information on the implications of Budget 2017 on Horse Sport Ireland and the wider equestrian sector.

Meanwhile, the review of Horse Sport Ireland which is being conducted by Indecon International Consultants is currently underway.

Despite the extremely tight timeframe for public submissions, document from 61 individuals and organisations were presented to the Consultants by the Department of Agriculture.

A spokesperson for the Department said that it expected the review would be concluded in early February 2017.