Cantillon bidding for Seanad seat

THOROUGHBRED breeder Dermot Cantillon has been nominated by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association for a seat on the Seanad’s Agricultural Panel to represent both the sport horse and thoroughbred industries.

The chair of Naas Racecourse is asking everyone involved in the industry who knows one of the electorate to ask them to support his bid before voting closes on March 30th. Votes can only be cast by members of the Dáil, the outgoing Seanad and members of city and county councils.

Speaking to The Irish Field in The Big Interview (see page 10-11) this week, Cantillon said: “A senator can initiate legislation and can modify legislation. But the two things that could have most effect, if I did get elected, would be the possibility of getting on the Joint Oireachtas Agricultural Committee and building influential relationships around Leinster House. Committees have become very important. You can have an influence there. You can make the case for racing and sport horse sector, for rural Ireland. You are an independent, free from party politics. I don’t think we have that.

“But I need the support of rural Ireland, of the racing and sport horse industries, for the people to lobby their councillors and TDs and say to them, ‘Instead of being whipped to vote for somebody, from some place, that won’t have a big relevance in your local area, why don’t you get behind the local man or the person in your industry?’ It is going to be difficult but we will give it our best shot.

“The horse industry is such an integral part of agriculture. It is an indigenous industry. In terms of the environment we plant trees and hedges, we have low stocking densities, we don’t use much nitrogen in the land. We tick all the boxes as regards to being environmentally friendly. I don’t think that gets enough publicity,” he said.