“IF we got money in Budget 2022, you are looking at four and five years before something is built,” claimed the Interim CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, Joe Reynolds, last Friday, following another week of debate surrounding HSI’s proposed move from Naas to a new headquarters at Greenogue Equestrian in nearby Rathcoole, Co Dublin.

HSI met with the officials from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine on Monday to discuss the matter. Speaking on Kildare FM after that meeting, Minister for State and Kildare TD Martin Heydon said: “I’ve asked them, myself and Minister McConalogue [Minister of Agriculture], that they would take a step back and not rush into signing a long term lease in the next couple of weeks.”

Asked by this paper if HSI were doing as asked by the Minister, Joe Reynolds said: “We’ve been asked to consider it and we are, but the reality of this is, however, the next opportunity we have to apply for funding is Budget 2022. I don’t see how in the current economic environment how any Government is going to agree to giving us that kind of money [€11.7 million] while there is private funding available, it just doesn’t make sense.”

Horse Sport Ireland then released a statement on Saturday morning, explaining why they are proceeding with the move to Greenogue.

Reynolds added that the pushback to their planned move is from a small group of people only. “A handful of the eventing community are not supportive. The eventers are using Greenogue all the time at the moment, they were training there yesterday. It was never our intention to build a full cross-country track anywhere. We will be putting in a complex of fences for training and a three-furlong gallop, which they would like to have. Some felt we had to have a full track and that was never our intention.”

Minister Heydon said: “There isn’t an ask for capital funding from HSI for this, so this is their decision as a company limited by guarantee and not a state body. But, at the same time, we do fund them very significantly from my Department [€5.5 million].

“The proposal of Greenogue is attractive to HSI on the basis that it is build and lease back scheme where they don’t pay the capital costs to start with. There is no initial financial outlay. They outlined how that is attractive because they are not coming looking for millions of euros to fund this initially.

“I am very much ready to work closely with HSI on putting in a robust application. The fact is, they weren’t in a position to apply for that Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Grant scheme of 2019, and they haven’t approached the Department of Sport for capital funding.

“The application that came in to us before Budget 2021 was light on details, looking for close to €10 million and arrived in the week before the Budget with details of Greenogue on it for the first time. That doesn’t give me the best chance of trying to secure sizeable capital fund. But I would work closely with them if they were to put in a proposal like that.

“They are going to furnish us with documents like the heads of agreements. I sought clarification if it was legally binding, I was told it wasn’t, that is just a clarification on a point that was raised last week.”

Consultation

Minister Heydon said the consultation on the planned move was “not as good as it could have been”. He added: “Consultation has been a significant bug-bearer. There has been a number of people from different affiliates who contacted me over the weekend, who didn’t want to go public, but did want me to know their perspective. I feel I have been contacted by enough people across the sector now to accept that consultation hasn’t been as good as it could have been here.

“I know the strategic plan for HSI has referenced the aspiration idea of a centre of excellence, but not in great detail.

“That strategic plan also has a key objective that they would unite the sector behind the shared vision, and I highlighted the fact that is not really here.”

Joe Reynolds told The Irish Field that by Friday (yesterday) evening, HSI would have this week consulted by virtual means with all affiliates apart from Showjumping Ireland, who they are meeting on Monday morning.