AS Budget Day looms, Horse Sport Ireland have submitted a comprehensive pre-Budget 2022 submission detailing some €15 million in overall supports, designed to put the €815 million Irish Sport Horse industry on a firmer financial footing.

The Irish Sport Horse industry, traditionally seen as ‘the poor relation’ of Ireland’s flagship equine industry, accounts for over 14,000 full-time jobs across every rural parish countrywide, with 15,000 breeders spread over the 32 counties.

Breeding and production is the largest sector of the Irish Sport Horse industry accounting for some €217 million. Horse Sport Ireland’s submission makes a strong case for the proper recognition of equine farming’s role and contribution to the Irish economy and pushes for its inclusion under the various grant schemes open under CAP and TAMS II, among others.

Six key areas were identified for investment in the HSI pre-Budget submission with the measures aligned within the context of the HSI Strategic Plan (2019-2024) and the Reaching New Heights report. These include investment in regional training and production facilities; measures to improve the quality of horses bred here; investment in education via the Young Horse Pathway initiative; increased Grant Aid funding; Anti-Doping funding; Capital funding and inclusion of Equine Farming under CAP and TAMS II.

With over 135,000 sport horses in the country, an extra €25 - €30 million could be generated here from the incremental sales value of Irish horses if there was more training and production supports available here sets out the HSI document.

Meetings next week

The 185-page submission was made ahead of a meeting between Horse Sport Ireland and cross-party TDs and Senators next Wednesday. It’s understood that separate meetings will take place between HSI chiefs and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officials, with Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.

“We put together a major pre-Budget submission, centred on regional spend, breed improvement initiatives and schemes, the educational emphasis via the Knowledge Transfer and Young Horse Pathway and capital funding projects. We are trying to get more direct funding into our regional centres. That accounts for some €7 million of our submission.

“Last year’s pre-Budget submission in total was in the region of €10 million and this year’s is €15 million including capital funding. If you don’t ask and make a good case for what you are asking for on the industry’s behalf, you won’t get it,” said Acting CEO of Horse Sport Ireland Joe Reynolds yesterday (Friday).

As part of the pre-Budget capital submission, Horse Sport Ireland also put in for €5.5 million for their offices/educational centre. “We originally intended to finance our proposed move to Greenogue through a lease but we were advised to put in for capital projects as part of our capital submission so we have included that in our pre-Budget ask. However, I want to stress very much that our emphasis in our pre-Budget submission is for industry funding, direct funding to the regional centres and our industry schemes supporting breeding and education.

“We also put in for capital funding a separate section on capital spending for an ICSI Laboratory (€742,000) and another veterinary facility of €550,000, not necessarily at Greenogue – possibly another site in Kildare – as part of a public procurement plan,” said Reynolds.