ALMOST a year to the day since the Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) board resigned, the organisation faced a barrage of questions from members of a joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

On Wednesday of this week, HSI CEO Denis Duggan and colleagues defended the organisation’s efforts in handling passport delays, the composition of the board and the state of HSI finances, during the meeting to discuss challenges facing the horse sport industry.

TDs and Senators present described a high level of anger among the public with regard to passport delays. They also raised concern about consultation with stakeholders regarding the selection process for a new board.

At present, the board is made up of four ministerial appointees, who have been acting on an interim basis.

“The burning issue I’m dealing with on an almost weekly basis is that of passports, anyone I have spoken to is not very complimentary to your organisation and I don’t blame them,” Wexford TD Paul Kehoe said.

“A constituent today told me he is still waiting for his passport that he applied for in the first week of July, is this satisfactory?”

In reply, Mr Duggan said: “It is unsatisfactory and we do recognise that. Applications this year, particularly because of the transition from microsatellite testing to SNIP testing, has resulted in far greater delays. If everything works properly, the breeder completes the paperwork correctly, we have a vet marking chart and we have cover certs from stallion owners, it takes about four to six weeks, but that also depends on having both the sire and the dam tested on the new SNIP platform - if that’s not done, that will add at least an additional 20 days to the process.

“What we have found is that a lot of the hair samples have not been of testing quality and that is something we are working through with our lab partner to reduce the timescale involved. On average, 30% were failing the initial DNA testing, but that’s come down to 5%.”

Fit for purpose

Pressing the question of passports Deputy Kehoe asked: “Do you think your organisation is fit for purpose to be managing horse passports?”

“We are working on our efficiency. We have lost a significant number of staff in that unit and that does have an impact in terms of ability to meet demand, but we are also tendering for an e-passport system that will improve our own efficiencies internally and hopefully reduce the errors on both sides,” Mr Duggan said, adding that exit interviews suggested higher salaries elsewhere, as well as abuse from clients were key drivers in resignations.

“I’m not a breeder, I’m just representing constituents, but let me say this, anger, I’m getting anger off of them, and that could be brought to the doors of HSI, that’s the level of anger out there, people are on their knees financially... and, if there is any breeder listening in, they wouldn’t be inspired by your replies,” Mr Kehoe said.

New board

Senator Paul Daly asked whether the passport issuing function was profitable and why funds were not funnelled into staff retention measures.

“That’s the biggest problem I’m coming across with breeders – staffing, and in a self-financing part of the business, management should not have allowed that happen,” Senator Daly said.

“I take your point,” Mr Duggan said.

Mr Daly went on to ask about plans to appoint a new board and related meetings with affiliate groups.

HSI Board member Michael Dowling explained that a consultation paper proposing an open call to all equestrians to apply to become directors was circulated and “obviously the affiliates have a variety of views on that”.

“We met with five affiliates and are waiting formal suggestions. We envisage meetings with others in the next week or two. We are trying to get a broader range of people to come onto the board to have greater diversity and achieve gender balance. It will be a couple of months before we can have the additions to the board. It’s going okay. From the responses of the consultation paper, there isn’t a huge amount of agreement on how that would be done.”

Senator Tim Lombard asked if there were concerns about the HSI’s funding model.

“The thing about funding is we are dependent on DAFM and Sport Ireland, so all of our money comes from that - one is a spend and recoup model and we are working with that as best we can,” HSI CFO Killian Carroll said.

HSI was also asked whether its inability to secure major sponsorship for High Performance teams was connected to a negative public perception of the body.

“We look after Olympic and international teams, but we haven’t been able to attract any major international brands,” Mr Duggan admitted.

“Issues of horse welfare and social license can be difficult for brands, so finding a sponsor comfortable in this space is a challenge.”

Pressing issue

Joe Flaherty TD was also keen to press the issue of passports.

“Up to 70% of foals sold this season did not have passports, with payments withheld and the breeders forced to continue to look after them in the meantime. Is that not a damning indictment on yourselves and the passport process and the way you are treating producers?” he asked.

“Someone called me about waiting from May and being forced to use another studbook at her own expense. That’s way past average time. Breeders are calling it calamitous and are now opting for a white book with no breeding recorded, which is a regrettable and regressive step for your organisation. Can you give any assurances to breeders about clearing the backlog?”

Dr Egan said the plan was to issue 400 passports per week up to Christmas with a small number spilling over into January.

Further coverage of the meeting will appear in next week’s edition.