THE extra €1 million for Horse Sport Ireland announced in Budget 2021 was warmly welcomed this week and brings to €5 million their funding under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The extra funding for the Irish Sport Horse came as part of the biggest Budget on record – €17.7 billion designed to keep the economy afloat as the country grapples with the pandemic while the EU also prepares for a no-deal Brexit.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe described Covid-19 as “an invisible enemy that has disrupted so much of our national well being”. He told the Dail on Budget day: “The test we face is daunting. The uncertainty about the future of lives and livelihoods is great. We will prevail and from the ashes of the pandemic, we will build a stronger and more resilent Ireland. Budget 2021 is a bridge to that future.”

This week’s DAFM allocation mirrors the €1 million figure of last year’s Budget. However, in what was widely acknowledged as a very difficult fiscal year for the Government, the 25% increase was greeted with open arms at HSI’s HQ in Naas.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD said: “The €1 million extra is a 25% increase which I think reflects our commitment to developing the sport horse sector in the years ahead and comes on the back of increased funding in recent years as well. And I know that they have strategic plans in that regard that we will work closely with them on as well.”

Great work

Minister of State at the Department, Kildare TD Martin Heydon said: “In fairness, they (Horse Sport Ireland) have carried out great work in relation to their Indecon report in streamlining their processes and their very ambitious plan for the feature and that increase in funding to them is a key recognition of that activity that happens all over the country in terms of the breeding side, which is our key consideration here.”

Acting CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, Joe Reynolds said: “We are delighted, it is great to get an increase in such a difficult year. The Minister in his speech mentioned that it was extra money for development in the sector. It is really to be welcomed. We had made a proposal on capital spending – we did not get that but that is a work in progress.

“No doubt it was a difficult budget for the Minister who is so new to the Department. There will be something for us (HSI) under Sport Ireland – increased funding with the Olympics still on the cards.”

With an extra €36 million allocated to Sport Ireland, the body tasked with the development of sport in Ireland, there will be more funding for HSI coming down the line, particularly in light of the Tokyo Olympics next year. HSI was allocated €1.79 million from Sport Ireland in 2020.

An additional €9.7 million was earmarked for the further development of the National Sports Arena at Abbotstown although details of what this entails – and whether the new works will include the all-weather equestrian arena at the location – have yet to be announced.

Minister for State at the Department with responsibility for Land Use and Forestry, Pippa Hackett added: “Within the animal welfare, there will be further supports for urban horse welfare also.”

Another key development in line with the Programme for Government is the allocation of €1.5 million for the re-development of the Irish Equine Centre which was described by Minister Heydon as being of “critical importance to the overall racing and breeding sector.”

DAFM Budget funding for Horse Sport Ireland

2021: €1 million

2020: €1 million

2019: €500k

2018: €500k